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The balloons swayed in the breeze, and up he went 


THE STRANGE STORY OF 

MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


BY 

MABEL FULLER BLODGETT 

Author of “In Poppy Land,” “Giants’ Ruby,’ “When Christmas 
Came Too Early,” “Fairy Tales,” etc. 


WITH ILLUSTRATIONS 

BY L. J. BRIDGMAN 



NEW YORK 
THE CENTURY CO. 
1915 


Copyright, 1915, by 
The Century Co. 


Published, September, jgij 


SEP 30 1915 

(Q)CI.A410764 


To 

JOHN BAPST BLAKE, Jr., 
FREDERIC FAULKNER 

AND 

BARBARA HODGES 
This Book Is Dedicated 








CONTENTS 


PART PAGE 

I MR. DOG MEETS MR. BEAR IN THE FOREST 3 
II MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 20 

III MR. DOG BECOMES AN INVENTOR ... 47 

IV MR. RED FOX GETS MORE THAN HE COMES 

FOR 69 

V MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR GO TO SCHOOL! . 92 

VI MR. BEAR TELLS A STORY 116 

VII MISS GRAY GOOSE FOLLOWS HER OWN 

COUNSEL 137 


VIII THE CHRISTMAS TREE 


159 


I 





LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

The balloons swayed in the breeze, and up he went . Frontispiece 

PAGE 

And a handsome sign beside it, which said, “Please wipe your 

feet” 4 

“And he spoke again in a far-away voice” 7 

Dishes! You never saw so many! 12 

Mr. Owl listened to both sides of the story 15 

Mr. Dog lay back in the hammock 24 

“Oh, Mr. Bear, are you sick'?” 27 

By this time Mr. Bear had got to the Old Woman who lived 

in a Shoe 33 

Mr. Dog certainly did act finely 4 ^ 

The Old Woman who lived in a Shoe, danced with Mr. Peter 

Rabbit 43 

“There! Look at that, will you*?” 5 ^ 

After Mr. Dog came eight Jack Rabbits who pulled the great in- 
vention 56 

There came one great final tip, and off slid poor Mr. Dog 61 

“Ha ! Ha ! Ha ! Mr. Dog,” he called out 64 

And oh ! how far off Mr. Bear’s beautiful house seemed . . 67 
“Now the very first thing to do is to put up the sign . 70 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


“There, there, don’t cry, dear Mrs. Opossum” 74 

Mr. Red Fox sauntered off in the direction of Mr. Bear’s cottage 79 

“Sh-sh,” said Mr. Dog in a whisper 81 

“Be so kind, Mr. Dog, as to hand me that other switch” . 87 

Miss Gray Goose quite talked the hens and turkeys into coming 97 


Only the Educated Pig refused flatly to come 104 

“Please, teacher, Benjamin Bunny is pinching me” . .107 


“Order,” he said in a stern voice 109 

“Mr. Dog, dry your eyes” 114 

Mr. Bear saw the young rabbits timidly approaching two by 

two 118 

Mr. Father Bear did so at once, bowing down to the ground . 121 

Then Ursus was combed and brushed 125 

The gorgeous Herald in blue and silver 132 

Miss Gray Goose stopped to admire herself in a puddle . . 139 

So he put his cap on a trifle to one side 144 

“Please, dear Mr. Red Fox, don’t go quite so fast” . . . 149 

Mr. Red Fox was off in the very opposite direction . . 151 

I have been told that the uniform was most becoming . 155 

Mr. Dog had purchased a scarlet and white skating cap . .160 

Now, I suppose you never saw a bear with the mumps . .162 

Mr. Dog found him measuring the height of the parlor ceiling 167 

I wish you could have been there to see them 17^ 

And they both laughed so hard 177 


The Strange Story of 

Mr. Dog and Mr. Bear 



PART I 

MR. DOG MEETS MR. BEAR IN THE FOREST 

O NCE upon a time, in the good old days, Mr. 

Bear lived in a very comfortable house in 
the middle of the great wood, while poor Mr. Dog 
had no house at all, and thought himself lucky if 
he found so much as a nest of leaves or a roomy 
hollow tree to lie in. 

Well, Mr. Bear not only had a real house all for 
himself, but it was a very nice house too. It had 
four windows, and a door, and a chimney. The 
windows had white lace curtains, and the door had 
a bright brass knocker, and the chimney was of red 
brick with a line of white-painted brick all around 
the top of it. 


3 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


There was not such another house in the w^hole 
forest. It had two bedrooms, and a kitchen, and 
a china-closet, and a parlor besides; and it had a 
neat gravel-walk leading up to it, and a porch, and 
a door-scraper, and a handsome sign beside it, 
which said, “Please wipe your feet.” Every ani- 
mal, for miles around, had been to see it, and most 
of them had wiped their feet on the scraper, for 
it made one feel elegant and quite cityfied. When 




MR. DOG MEETS MR. BEAR 


I say that Mr. Bear also owned a cottage piano, 
and a beautiful lamp that he got for a prize with a 
box of tea, you will think at once that he ought to 
be very, very happy. 

He ought, but he was n’t. 

I will tell you why in a very few words. 

Mr. Bear was L — A — Z — Y. 

He just hated to get up out of his warm four- 
post bed, and go downstairs in the cold winter 
mornings to get breakfast. He even tried eating 
two suppers to see if he could n’t skip breakfast al- 
together, but it did n’t work, for he was just as 
hungry as ever in the morning after, at six-thirty. 

So one day when he went to walk in the forest 
he met Mr. Dog, and this is what they said to each 
other : 

‘‘Good day to you, Mr. Bear,” began Mr. Dog, 
making a very low bow as he spoke. 

“Good day,” said Mr. Bear — “that is,” he 
added, “it might be a good day if I did n’t have to 
do all the work in my house over yonder.” 

“Oh!” said Mr. Dog, pricking up his ears, “I 

5 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

wish / lived in a beautiful house like yours, Mr. 
Bear! If I did, Fm sure I wouldn’t mind the 
work of taking care of it.” 

Mr. Bear stopped short, and scratched his head 
with his paw. His small eyes twinkled, for he 
had an idea — a fine idea, a wonderful idea; but 
it would n’t do to look too anxious. So he gave a 
far-away glance at the tree-tops, and when he 
spoke he said in a far-away voice: 

“If anybody came to live with me in my house, 
I should expect him to get up in the morning and 
get the breakfast — oh, yes, and start the fire.” 

“If anybody lived in a house like yours, Mr. 
Bear,” said Mr. Dog, jumping up and down with 
excitement and almost wagging his tail off as he 
spoke, “if anybody came to live with you in your 
house, he ought to expect to get up and get the 
breakfast — oh, yes ! and build the fire too.” 

Now when Mr. Bear saw how delighted Mr. 
Dog was, he had another idea, and that was to get 
Mr. Dog to do all the work, instead of part of it. 

Yes, indeed, Mr. Bear was lazy. So he kept his 

6 



“And he spoke again in a far-away voice” 








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MR. DOG MEETS MR. BEAR 


far-away look on the tree-tops, and he spoke again 
in a far-away voice : 

''If anybody came to live with me in my house, 
I should expect him to get the dinner also.” 

Mr. Dog stopped jumping when he heard this, 
but he still wagged his tail, and he answered very 
promptly and to the point: 

"If anybody came to live with you in your 
house, Mr. Bear, he ought to expect to get the din- 

5? 

ner. 

At this Mr. Bear, who had heard that Mr. Dog 
was a very good cook, almost rolled over and over 
with joy, but he remembered himself in time, and 
said, still looking at the far-away tree-tops as he 
answered : 

"If anybody came to live in my house, I should 
want him to get the supper also.” 

Now when Mr. Dog heard this he stopped wag- 
ging his tail and he did n’t reply for a moment. 
But through the trees he caught a glimpse of Mr. 
Bear’s beautiful house, and he remembered how 
cold and hungry he had been all the night before. 

9 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

So he soon spoke up in answer, though rather sol- 
emnly ; 

“If anybody came to live in your house, Mr. 
Bear, he ought to expect to get the supper also.” 

At this Mr. Bear took his eyes off the distant 
tree-tops and asked in a brisk business-like voice : 

“Then, Mr. Dog, I ’d like you to live with me in 
my house — on those terms, on those terms, mind 
you! Come, shall we shake paws, and call it a 
bargain?” 

“Yes, Mr. Bear, we will,” said Mr. Dog, and 
they both gravely shook paws and said, “Done!” 
to seal the compact. 

Now Mr. Bear felt indeed very happy, and after 
the way of such people he got lazier and lazier. 
He stayed in bed till the very last minute before 
breakfast, and some days he came down without 
brushing his hair at all. 

At first, he felt a little ashamed at letting Mr. 
Dog do all the work; and, once in a while, he even 
thought of offering to help peel the potatoes, or 
carry in some firewood. But he soon got over 
10 


MR. DOG MEETS MR. BEAR 


thinking anything at all about it, and only grum- 
bled if everything was n’t exactly to his liking. 

Well, this went on for a good while, and though 
Mr. Dog had a nice room and plenty to eat, he 
got quite thin working so hard. Mr. Bear had a 
most enormous appetite and had a way that was 
most discouraging of coming into the pantry be- 
tween meals and eating up everything he found 
there. So Mr. Dog had to set his wits to working, 
and this is what happened. 

Mr. Bear came in, as usual, just before breakfast 
one fine morning, and feeling, as he always did, 
as hungry — ^well, as hungry as a bear, and you 
know how that is! — and there was no break- 
fast! 

When Mr. Dog was asked for an explanation, 
he said cheerfully that he was very sorry but as 
there were no dishes to put any food upon he 
did n’t really see how he could be expected to serve 
the morning meal as usual. 

Mr. Bear was angry, and very much surprised. 

''No dishes!” he roared. "No dishes! I never 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 



Dishes ! You never saw so many ! 

heard such nonsense. Why, the china-closet is full 
of dishes!” 

''Yes,” said Mr. Dog, meekly, "it is full of 

12 




MR. DOG MEETS MR. BEAR 

dishes, and so is the kitchen, but they are n’t any 
of them clean.” 

‘"Why!” said Mr. Bear, sputtering over his 
words, he was so angry. ‘‘Not clean? Why 
aren’t they clean? Why didn’t you wash ’em? 
What do you mean by having this house full of 
dirty dishes?” and he pulled open the door of the 
pantry in a great rage as he spoke. 

Dishes! You never saw so many! They were 
in great piles from floor to ceiling, and were sim- 
ply everywhere, on the chairs, on the sink, even 
on the kitchen stove. And not one was clean. 

“I did n’t promise,” said Mr. Dog, still very 
meekly, but with a sly laugh in the corner of his 
eye. “You remember, Mr. Bear, I did n’t promise 
to wash the dishes — ” 

“You promised to light , the fire, and get the 
meals, and of course washing the dishes goes with 
that,” said Mr. Bear, not roaring quite so loud now, 
for he was beginning to get worried. 

“Oh, no, it doesn’t,” said Mr. Dog quickly; 
“though of course it is too bad about breakfast. I 

13 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


took a snack myself off the tea kettle cover, but I 
would n’t think of offering you food in any such 
way as that, Mr. Bear, and so I ate up all the break- 
fast myself this morning.” 

Mr. Bear nearly fell over when he heard this. 
He would have turned white, like a polar bear, if 
he could have done so, but as he happened to be 
a nice cinnamon-brown shade, he could n’t. 

He thought a while, and then he began to coax 
instead of blustering. 

‘‘My dear Mr. Dog,” he said, “why not be sen- 
sible, and wash up the dishes, and let things go 
on comfortably just as before? It’s so hot, and 
my fur is so long, I could n’t possibly do it, but 
you ’ve got beautiful short hair, and besides, if you 
get too heated working you could take off your col- 
lar. You see I have n’t any collar to take off, so 
I could n’t do anything to make myself cooler, if 
I wanted to ever so much.” 

But Mr. Dog refused to be wheedled. He said 
he would rather leave first, and that made Mr. 
Bear have a chill in spite of the weather. 

H 



Mr. Owl listened to both sides of the story 





MR. DOG MEETS MR. BEAR 


Well, in the end, they decided to leave the ques- 
tion of what was fair to both of them to Mr. Owl, 
and forthwith they proceeded to the great tree 
where he lived. 

Mr. Owl was asleep, but he good-naturedly woke 
up and listened to both sides of the story. Then 
he took a nap again, while Mr. Dog and Mr. Bear 
— poor Mr. Bear, feeling very hollow indeed — 
waited patiently. All of a sudden Mr. Owl’s big 
yellow eyes opened. 

‘'You must both wash the dishes,” he said. 

Then he slept again for about ten minutes. It 
might have been longer, only Mr. Dog forgot and 
barked at a chipmunk. 

“And you, Mr. Dog, must get up and light the 
fire, because it ’s Mr. Bear’s house.” 

“Wise, wise bird!” murmured Mr. Bear. 

“And as for the rest,” went on Mr. Owl in his 
best giving- judgment voice, “you must just take 
turns.” And with that he tucked his head under 
his wing and went so fast asleep that nothing 
could wake him. 


17 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


Neither Mr. Dog nor Mr. Bear was really alto- 
gether satisfied, but each felt it might have been 
worse, and so they clasped paws once more over the 
new bargain. Then they went back to the cottage, 
and fell to. 

They washed dishes, and washed dishes, and 
washed dishes, all the morning, all the afternoon, 
and into the evening. 

Mr. Bear ate some bread-crusts and honey which 
he found, and Mr. Dog chewed on a bone, but, ex- 
cept for a very short time, they neither of them 
stopped work. 

At last every dish was clean and in its right 
place, and both Mr. Dog and Mr. Bear lay right 
down on their backs with their four paws in the air 
and their tongues hanging out of their mouths, 
and never stirred for a whole hour. 

Then, somewhat rested, they each curled up in 
bed, neither stopping to brush his teeth, so very 
tired were they. And the next day, when Mr. 
Bear heard Mr. Dog downstairs shaking up the 
kitchen-stove, he said to himself as he set his alarm 
i8 


MR. DOG MEETS MR. BEAR 


clock, “Well, after all, I believe Mr. Owl was 
right. It is pretty hard for one person to do all the 
work. I guess I ’ll make some buckwheat cakes 
this morning for Mr. Dog’s breakfast.” 


19 


PART II 

MR. bear’s surprise PARTY 



FTER Mr. Bear and Mr. Dog had arranged 


IX together about the housework in the way 
I have just told you, everything went very pleas- 


antly. 


But Mr. Bear’s conscience troubled him a little 
whenever he saw Mr. Dog cheerfully doing a lot 
of extras, such as preserving and so on, which was 
more than Mr. Dog had promised. You see, in 
the beginning Mr. Bear had certainly worked Mr. 
Dog pretty hard. Now they were such good 
friends that he wished he had n’t, and when Mr. 
Dog’s birthday drew near, Mr. Bear made up his 
mind to give Mr. Dog a grand surprise party. Of 
course a surprise party has got to be a surprise ; but 
Mr. Dog was so quick at guessing and Mr. Bear was 
so slow at planning, that it made things difficult. 


20 


MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 

Mr. Bear had already bought Mr. Dog the most 
beautiful red morocco collar with the name and ad- 
dress engraved on it on the solid brass plate at- 
tached to it, which was as good as a visiting-card 
any day, and more convenient. But now poor 
Mr. Bear was at his wits’ end to hide the gift from 
Mr. Dog until the birthday came. Every night 
he changed the place when he thought Mr. Dog 
was asleep. Mr. Dog, as a matter of fact, gener- 
ally slept with one eye open, so he could n’t help 
wondering why Mr. Bear did so much walking 
about and poking into strange corners after night- 
fall, but he had so much politeness, which is an- 
other name for tact, that he only snored a little 
louder and pretended he had seen nothing at 
all. 

The last place Mr. Bear had put the collar was 
in the wood pile, and it made him very nervous 
every time Mr. Dog went out to the shed to get a 
stick of wood. In fact, he kept thinking of rea- 
sons why they should only eat cold things and ob- 
jected to having the potatoes warmed over in such 
21 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


a violent manner that Mr. Dog was more puzzled 
than ever. Fortunately it was summer time, so 
much of a fire was n’t needed. And now the birth- 
day came nearer and nearer, till it got to be the 
very day, and Mr. Bear had n’t sent out a single 
invitation to the party, or even cooked anything 
for the occasion, or said one word to Mr. Dog 
about it. It was plainly time to get Mr. Dog 
away from the house, but Mr. Dog was lying in the 
hammock with his cap over his eyes, and looked as 
though nothing could induce him to move for the 
next six hours. 

However, Mr. Bear thought and thought, and 
scratched his head, and by and by he came to 
the door and coughed. ‘‘Ahem!” said Mr. Bear 
loudly, “ahem! Mr. Dog, er — I say, Mr. Dog — ” 

“Yes, Mr. Bear,” said Mr. Dog, snapping lazily 
at a fly and turning over to get into a more com- 
fortable position. 

“I say, Mr. Dog, would n’t you please just go 
over to the blueberry patch and pick about ten 
quarts of blueberries?” 


22 


MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 

Mr. Dog was so astonished that he opened both 
eyes wide and nearly, but not quite, fell out of the 
hammock. 

"‘Blueberries! ten quarts!” he repeated. 

“Yes,” said Mr. Bear, smiling very pleasantly. 
“It would be so nice for blueberry pies and sauce 
next winter.” 

“Could n’t think of it,” said Mr. Dog, decidedly. 
“My dear fellow, it must be one hundred in the 
shade this minute in the blueberry patch, and we 
won’t need anything of the kind for ever so long. 
Wait a while till it’s cooler. And ten quarts! 
My dear Mr. Bear, it would take me all day!” 

“I hope so,” Mr. Bear started to say, and then 
changed it into a sneeze just in time. 

Mr. Dog sank back into the hammock and Mr. 
Bear, feeling very discouraged, went into the 
house and scratched his head and thought some 
more. Then he came back. Mr. Dog was almost 
asleep this time, but Mr. Bear’s loud voice brought 
him from the land of Nod in a hurry. Mr. Bear 
spoke very quickly this time, so that his words all 

23 



MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

ran together, and that was the reason that just at 
first Mr. Dog did n’t clearly understand him. 

“Please-get-right-up-Mr.-Dog-and-go-to-the-post- 

office.” 

If you say that very fast you will say it just as 
Mr. Bear did. 

“What ’s that?” said Mr. Dog. 


Mr. Dog lay back in the hammock 

24 


MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 

‘Tlease-get-right-up-and-go-to-the-postoffice.” 

''What forT’ asked Mr. Dog, who by this time 
had begun to wonder why Mr. Bear was acting so 
strangely. 

"Very important letter,” said Mr. Bear. "Must 
go at once, almost mail time.” 

"All right, all right,” said Mr. Dog almost 
crossly for him, for the postoffice was five miles 
away and it did pass through his mind for the mo- 
ment that Mr. Bear might post his own letters. 
Still Mr. Bear had such long fur and it was so 
hot — 

"Well, where ’s the letter, Mr. Bear?” he asked. 

"The letter?” said Mr. Bear, looking around as 
though he expected it to fall out of the air or spring 
up from the ground. "The letter? Oh, yes, in 
just a minute.” And Mr. Bear disappeared. 

Mr. Dog lay back in the hammock, and Mr. Bear 
began to rush about the cottage. First he could n’t 
find the ink, then he could n’t find the paper, then 
he could n’t find the pen. 

When at last he really did find all three, he sat 

25 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


down and could n’t think of one thing to write. 
He was n’t very good at writing anyway, and he 
made a great big blot on the paper before ever he 
began. At last with his tongue hanging out, and 
his eyes rolling, he wrote very slowly on the en- 
velope : 

To Mr, Gray Goose, Esq,, 

Next door Red Farm house. 

Three miles from Forest, 

Kindness Mr, Dog, , , 

Haste, haste, haste, 

Mr. Dog called out from the hammock, “If you 
don’t come right out, Mr. Bear, we ’ll lose the 
mail.” 

“Oh, that does n’t matter,” answered Mr. Bear 
before he thought. 

“Does n’t it?” said Mr. Dog, really annoyed. 
“Does n’t it? Then I don’t run any five miles in 
this heat for nothing!” And he sank further into 
the hammock and shut both eyes up tight and never 
even wagged his tail when Mr. Bear came out with 
26 



Oh, Mr. Bear, are you sick?” 




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MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 


the empty envelope (for he ’d quite forgotten to 
put anything in it) sealed and stamped and ready. 

So Mr. Bear had to go back into the house. And 
he felt dreadfully because he could n’t think of 
another excuse to get Mr. Dog away, so that he 
might freeze ice-cream, and make cakes and candy 
for the party, and give his invitations, and he 
groaned aloud. 

Now Mr. Dog was very kind-hearted, and he was 
a little worried too about the queer way Mr. Bear 
was acting. So when he heard the groan, he 
jumped up and ran in. 

“Oh, Mr. Bear, are you sick?” he said. “And 
shall I go for the doctor?” 

Mr. Bear stopped groaning and sprang up, look- 
ing very happy. Then he remembered himself and 
sat down again, and began to groan louder than 
ever. 

“That ’s it, that ’s it,” he said. “Run for the 
doctor, dear Mr. Dog; run for the doctor, do!” 

“Where is your pain?” said Mr. Dog, anxiously. 

“My pain?” asked Mr. Bear much surprised. 
29 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

‘‘Oh, yes, my pain — well, it 's kind of all-overish, 
I think.’’ 

“What’s it like?” said Mr. Dog, getting more 
worried every minute. 

“Well,” said Mr. Bear, scratching his head, “it ’s 
kind of wiggly-waggly and then it jumps. Yes, 
Mr. Dog, that ’s it; it jumps,” and Mr. Bear looked 
very pleased with himself indeed. 

“Oh!” said Mr. Dog, “that must be dreadful. 
I ’ll go right away. Which doctor shall I get?” 

“The farthest off,” said Mr. Bear before he 
thought; but he added hastily, “He ’s the best. I 
must have the best, you know,” and he gave a 
louder groan than ever and turned a complete sum- 
mersault; and Mr. Dog began to run down the 
road as though a whole pack of wolves were after 
him. 

Mr. Bear lay still a minute, then he got cau- 
tiously up and peeked out the window, but all he 
saw on the winding road was a puff of dust slowly 
settling after Mr. Dog’s paws had stirred it up. 

Then, well, then he did get busy. First, he got 

30 


MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 

one of Mr. Dog’s checkered gingham aprons be- 
cause all his own were in the wash, and as the 
strings would n’t quite meet round his waist he had 
to hunt ever so long for a safety pin with which to 
fasten it together. At last he got out all the dishes 
and spoons, and the salt and pepper, and sugar, and 
spices, and flour and butter, and nuts, and raisins 
and cinnamon, and nutmeg, and candied lemon 
peel, that he wanted, and the real work began. 
He cooked, and he cooked, and he cooked: and 
when he got through there were the most beautiful 
tarts, and pies, and doughnuts, and cookies, and 
ginger-bread, and, best of all, the loveliest birth- 
day cake with pink and white frosting, and 
'‘Happy Birthday to Mr. Dog” on it in wonderful 
curly letters. 

Mr. Bear put all this away in the pantry and 
locked the door, and then he began on the ice-cream. 
He froze, and he froze, and he froze; and when he 
was through there were gallons and gallons of the 
loveliest ice-cream, strawberry and vanilla and 
chocolate. And this he locked up in the ice-chest. 

31 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

Then he got some lemons, a lot of them, and he 
squeezed, and he squeezed, and he squeezed, till he 
had quarts and quarts of the most beautiful lemon- 
ade. And this he locked up in the cupboard. And 
then he was very tired, but he could n’t stop for 
that, but he put on his linen cap and dust coat and 
started off to give his invitations. Fortunately, 
most of his friends and Mr. Dog’s lived near, and a 
kind crow promised to send word to the far-off 
people. 

Mr. Bear wasted no time. He dashed into Mr. 
Pig’s house — the brick one, you know, that Mr. 
Wolf tried to huff, and to puff, and to blow down, 
and could n’t. Mr. Pig was looking out the win- 
dow that very minute at Mr. Wolf who was trying 
to get in through the barred door, but Mr. Wolf 
made off in a hurry, I can tell you, when Mr. Bear 
lumbered up the walk. But Mr. Bear waited for 
no words of thanks from Mr. Pig, but told him 
to be sure to come at eight o’clock promptly that 
night to Mr. Bear’s house, and help give Mr. Dog 
the surprise of his life. Mr. Pig was very polite 

32 



MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 

and an ornament to any party, and he accepted 
at once with pleasure, and began right away to 
fix up generally for the grand doings of the 
evening. By this time Mr. Bear had got to the 


By this time Mr. Bear had got to the Old Woman who lived in a Shoe 

33 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


Old Woman who lived in a Shoe, and there he 
had to stop and explain, for the Old Woman had 
just finished soundly whipping her children and 
putting them to bed — they took early naps — 
and she was quite tired and wanted to sit and 
chat a while. Mr. Bear told his errand, and she 
said she would come and bring all her family, and 
Mr. Bear was greatly embarrassed, for she had 
dozens and dozens of children (by the way, did 
I say they were all little mice?) pulling at her 
skirts and running from the Shoe in every direction 
to see what the dame had brought them, and he 
knew they had wonderful appetites. But before 
she got through talking, Mr. Bear had really a 
bright thought. 

''I ’m inviting Mr. Owl also,'’ Mr. Bear re- 
marked; “for you know he settled so wisely that 
one dispute Mr. Dog and I ever had about who was 
to do the housework.” 

And the Old Woman very hurriedly said she 
would come to the party alone. You see, Mr. Owl 
had a bad habit of liking little mice all too well 
34 


MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 

for their comfort; so after she heard that, the Old 
Woman would n’t have brought them for any- 
thing. So Mr. Bear got out of that trouble all 
right, and after he had seen Gray Goose and Peter 
Rabbit, and they had accepted, he was able to go 
home again, feeling very happy indeed. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Dog had got back to the cot- 
tage first, and you may believe he was astonished 
to find the house empty. The doctor had prom- 
ised to come that evening at eight. It was Dr. 
Racoon, who was the very best to be had, but who 
was too busy to come before. Mr. Dog could have 
got Mr. Red Fox to come at once; he sometimes 
acted as doctor in hurry cases, but, somehow, he 
never quite trusted him, and Mr. Red Fox never 
seemed either altogether easy in Mr. Dog’s com- 
pany. And now Mr. Bear was away. 

Mr. Dog felt very much worried. He tried the 
pantry door; it was locked. He tried the ice-chest 
door; it was locked. He tried the cupboard door; 
it was locked! “Good gracious!” said Mr. Dog, 
very much excited. And I don’t know what would 

35 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


have happened, only just then Mr. Dog caught 
sight of a piece of paper pinned to a napkin that 
covered a dish of cold scraps, and on it was written 
in Mr. Bear’s big handwriting: 

“Gone. Be back in half an hour.” 

“Well, did you ever,” said the amazed Mr. Dog, 
when he had slowly spelled out this message; but 
he w^as not, however, too surprised to do full jus- 
tice to the luncheon left for him. 

Having eaten, Mr. Dog decided to make a more 
thorough search of the whole premises, because his 
nose kept telling him that somewhere near there 
was something very good to eat. So he looked 
through the cupboard keyhole, and he looked 
through the ice-chest door keyhole, and he looked 
through the pantry keyhole, and he saw nothing at 
all in the first and second because it was pitch dark, 
but the pantry had a window^ and he saw — well, 
what did n’t he see ? Half a whole pie, and a lot of 
little round things that looked like cookies, and a 
gingerbread man, and what do you think? A big 
cake ! A big frosted cake ! A big birthdav frosted 

36 




MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 


cake, with ''Hap” on it and ‘‘day,” for that was all 
the frosted letters Mr. Dog could read through the 
keyhole. But that was enough. Mr. Dog barked 
just once, he was so taken back. And then he be- 
gan to think quickly. He looked out the kitchen 
window with the tail of his eye, and there he saw 
Mr. Bear come wearily up the road. 

Now Mr. Dog could think ever so much quicker 
than Mr. Bear, and in a flash it came to him how 
disappointed Mr. Bear would be if he knew his se- 
cret was discovered. And Mr. Dog felt so happy 
that Mr. Bear was n’t really ill, and that all these 
strange happenings were not so strange after all, 
and that dear old Mr. Bear was being exceedingly 
kind, that he made up his mind Mr. Bear should 
never, never know that the surprise was n’t just as 
he planned it. 

Mr. Bear came in, looking quite confused, but 
Mr. Dog appeared not to notice anything unusual. 
He said he was very glad Mr. Bear felt able to 
take a little exercise, that exercise was fine for ill- 
ness, and that now Mr. Bear had better rest, and 
37 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


that the doctor would come in the evening, and 
that he, Mr. Dog, was going to take a cat-nap him- 
self (though just how he could do that is beyond 
me) . 

Mr. Bear was very glad Mr. Dog felt all these 
ways, and soon nothing could be heard in the cot- 
tage but the gentle snores of Mr. Dog and the great 
rumbling snores of Mr. Bear; for, indeed, both of 
them were tired out with their day’s labors. By 
six o’clock, however, they both awakened much re- 
freshed, and now Mr. Dog behaved in such a con- 
siderate and gentlemanly manner that it is a pleas- 
ure to write about it. 

First he told Mr. Bear that he felt he must go up 
to his room, and finish an exciting novel he was 
reading, and that he should stay at least an hour, 
and then he never let Mr. Bear see him looking 
out the window, while Mr. Bear gathered all the 
flowers he could carry from the garden, and began 
to decorate the parlor. By and by Mr. Bear came 
and knocked on Mr. Dog’s door. 

‘"Ahem!” he said. ‘‘Mr. Dog, excuse me, but 

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Mr. Dog certainly did act finely 



MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 


would you mind brushing up a little? You see, 
they — well, you see, the doctor ’s coming.” 

“Why certainly, Mr. Bear,” said Mr. Dog. “I 
was just putting some perfumery on my handker- 
chief and washing up as you came in. I always 
feel like making myself look well for Dr. Racoon, 
he is so very neat himself.” 

“True, true,” said Mr. Bear, rubbing his paws 
together in great glee. “Just comb that snarl out 
of the fur on my left hind leg, will you, Mr. Dog, 
and then I think we ’ll be ready. Do you think 
they ’ll come — I mean, he ’ll come promptly?” 

“Oh, yes,” said Mr. Dog, pretending not to no- 
tice, and just then they both heard the sound of 
approaching footsteps, while loud cheers resounded 
from the forest and calls for Mr. Bear and Mr. Dog. 

“There,” said Mr. Bear, dropping his brush and 
comb in his hurry, “would you please mind not 
looking out of the window, Mr. Dog? I ’m go- 
ing down to meet the doctor, and you come, Mr. 
Dog, in just five minutes, will you?” 

“Certainly,” said Mr. Dog, and he began to 

41 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


whistle as loudly as he could so as to drown the 
sounds of joy beneath him. Pretty soon Mr. Bear’s 
big voice came up the stairway. 

“Please come down, Mr. Dog,” he said, and down 
came Mr. Dog, amid such sounds as “Sh-sh-sh he ’s 
coming,” “Not a sound,” “Please stop crowding, 
here he is!” “Now all together,” “One, two, three, 
hurrah for Mr. Dog ! Happy birthday, old fellow, 
hurrah! hurrah!” 

Mr. Dog certainly did act finely. He put his 
paw to his head and fell back. “What ’s all this"?” 
he muttered. “What ’s all this?” 

“It’s your birthday; many of them,” said Mr. 
Bear in high feather, stepping forward. “And here 
are a few old friends come to wish you joy, and 
here,” — and he handed over the red morocco collar 
— “is a little gift from your true comrade Ursa 
Major Bear, Esq.” 

Well, Mr. Dog was pleased, I can tell you. He 
had the new collar on in a jiffy, and it was greatly 
admired. 

And then the fun began. They played games, 
42 



The Old Woman who lived in a Shoe, danced with Mr. Peter Rabbit 




MR. BEAR’S SURPRISE PARTY 


“Stage Coach” and “Follow My Leader” — Mr. 
Owl won that, sly old bird, by flying up on the 
chandelier, where nobody could follow — and 
“Post Office,” where Miss White Goose was kissed 
by Mr. Gray Goose and looked too silly for any- 
thing. Dr. Racoon was as full of fun as the rest, 
and Mr. Dog was the life of the party. The Old 
Woman who lived in a Shoe danced the Virginia 
Reel with Mr. Peter Rabbit, who put in all kinds 
of new fancy steps, and Mr. Pig made them all 
nearly die laughing telling them the story of how 
neatly he fooled Mr. Wolf. About ten o’clock 
they all sat down to supper, and by ten-thirty every 
bit was eaten up. Dr. Racoon would wash all his 
food in the finger bowl first; but then, that was his 
way, so nobody minded. 

At last they all went home, after drinking Mr. 
Bear’s and Mr. Dog’s health in lemonade for the 
tenth and last time; and after their merry voices 
had died away, Mr. Dog and Mr. Bear began to 
lock up and put out the lights. 

“Thank you a thousand times, Mr. Bear, for all 

45 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


your kindness,” said Mr. Dog, night cap on head 
and candle in hand as he stood at his chamber door. 

‘‘Not at all, Mr. Dog,” answered Mr. Bear po- 
litely; “but it was a good party, was n’t it? And 
oh ! Mr. Dog, the best of it all is, I never saw any- 
body so surprised as you were in all my life.” 


46 


PART III 

MR. DOG BECOMES AN INVENTOR 

A fter the famous surprise party, Mr. Dog 
and Mr. Bear passed a quiet but happy time 
together, and things would have probably gone on 
in just that fashion had not Mr. Dog begun to 
grow rather conceited. The beginning was that 
he thought himself very clever to have found out 
about the birthday celebration before it happened, 
and then he went on to say to himself — and this 
was a pity — that he, Mr. Dog, was a very smart 
fellow, and Mr. Bear quite slow and stupid, even 
if kind-hearted. The truth is, Mr. Bear slow, 
but he was n’t stupid. He had more common sense 
than Mr. Dog, and this story will show it. By and 
by Mr. Dog began to fret because he felt his tal- 
ents were being wasted, just living along doing 
housework, and the next thing that happened was 
47 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


he took a trip to town and sold his every-day col- 
lar, so that he had to wear his very best red morocco 
one, Mr. Bear’s birthday gift, every day as well as 
Sundays. Mr. Bear wondered very much what Mr. 
Dog did with the money, but Mr. Dog would n’t 
say, but went about looking very important, and 
began to spend long hours alone, locked up in the 
woodshed. From thence would come sounds of 
hammering and sawing, and there began to be a lot 
of curly shavings in the stove, mornings. Mr. Dog 
also started to take trips to the village, and to come 
back with something queer and round tied up in a 
cloth bag he carried. 

Mr. Bear began to feel hurt. He spoke once or 
twice to Mr. Dog about these secret errands and 
the mysterious work going on in the woodshed, 
which after all was his woodshed, but Mr. Dog 
only looked important and said, “My dear fellow, 
don’t bother me. You couldn’t understand if I 
told you.” And Mr. Bear after that was too proud 
even to look through the door when Mr. Dog, as 
sometimes happened, left it ajar for a moment. 
48 


MR. DOG BECOMES AN INVENTOR 


I think Mr. Dog, for all his airs, was sorry when 
Mr. Bear stopped asking questions. Anyway, one 
day he began to hint and hint about the wonderful 
things he was doing, and when Mr. Bear only 
looked out the window and took no notice what- 
ever, Mr. Dog at last talked straight out. 

“Perhaps you did n’t know it, Mr. Bear,” he 
began, “but I am an inventor.” 

“Are you?” said Mr. Bear, slowly uncrossing his 
knees and then recrossing them again. 

“Yes, I am,” said Mr. Dog, plainly taken back 
by Mr. Bear’s lack of interest. 

“And it ’s a great invention, Mr. Bear — one of 
the greatest, if I may say so. In fact, I expect by 
it to make my fortune.” 

“Do you?” said Mr. Bear, without so much as 
winking. 

Mr. Dog got more and more excited, and began to 
hammer on the table. 

“It ’s the greatest thing you ever saw, Mr. Bear, 
and I guess you ’ll think I was pretty bright when 
you see it.” 


49 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


‘‘Shall I?” said Mr. Bear, and he closed his eyes 
as though he were going off to sleep. Mr. Dog 
jumped up and down. Such conduct on Mr. Bear’s 
part was so unexpected and so truly disappoint- 
ing! 

“You come right into the woodshed, Mr. Bear, 
this minute, and I ’ll show the whole thing to you,” 
he said, seizing Mr. Bear by the arm as he spoke. 

“Will you?” said Mr. Bear, slowly opening one 
eye, and then he asked, “Won’t to-morrow do?” 

Mr. Dog almost turned inside out. “To-mor- 
row !” he shouted ; “to-morrow ! It ’s the wonder of 
the age. I guess you don’t know what you ’re miss- 
ing, Mr. Bear.” 

“Don’t I?” said Mr. Bear; but he got up for all 
that this time, for really and truly he was dying to 
know what was in the woodshed, only he wanted to 
punish Mr. Dog first a little for his conceited airs. 

Well, Mr. Dog led the way and Mr. Bear fol- 
lowed, and when they got there, with a great flour- 
ish Mr. Dog pulled off the sheet that was covering 
the invention, and this is what they saw : A long 

50 


MR. DOG BECOMES AN INVENTOR 



“There ! Look at that, will you 

flat board with sides to it, piled with stones, and a 
seat across one end big enough for Mr. Dog to sit 

51 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


on, and on both sides a row of balloons, red and 
blue, that bobbed back and forth gaily in the draft 
that came when the door was opened. 

“There !” said Mr. Dog. “There ! Look at that, 
will you?” 

“What is it?” asked Mr. Bear much puzzled. 

Mr. Dog struck an attitude. 

“It ’s an airship,” he said proudly. 

“What for?” said Mr. Bear. 

“To fly in, of course,” answered Mr. Dog with 
dignity. 

“Who’ll fly in it?” asked Mr. Bear. 

“Why, I will,” said Mr. Dog. 

“What’s the good of that?” said Mr. Bear. 
“You ’ll only go and get yourself killed, you know, 
but — ” he added hopefully — “perhaps it won’t fly 
after all.” 

Mr. Dog was very angry. 

“Yes, it will fly,” he snapped; and then he began 
to talk very fast and loud, in his excitement. 

“It ’s all fixed up with Mr. Red Fox, Mr. Bear,” 
he said ; “he ’ll be gate-keeper : let the people in and 

52 


MR. DOG BECOMES AN INVENTOR 

all that. Yes, I know you don’t like him, but he 
is n’t a bad fellow, and he ’s smart; he saw right 
away how very clever I am. Did you ever hear of 
a balloon ascension? Goes up in the air, you know. 
Well, to-morrow all our friends are coming. 
Tickets, of course; one penny apiece lets grownups 
in, and children two for one; you see, that way, 
’most everybody will bring at least two; and I'm 
going up in this airship. Throw over the stones 
and away I ’ll fly, see something of the world, and 
make money doing it. How ’s that for an idea, 
Mr. Bear?” And Mr. Dog, quite out of breath, 
stopped and clapped his friend on the shoulder. 

Mr. Bear sat down heavily on the saw-horse. He 
felt very badly, and he did n’t know just what to 
say. He saw at once that Mr. Dog and he would 
quarrel if he was n’t careful, yet he could n’t let 
himself think of his dear friend running such a 
dreadful risk. So he did n’t say anything for a few 
moments, and Mr. Dog was delighted. He 
thought he had made a great impression, and so he 
had, but not in the way he thought. 

53 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


Well, as I have said, Mr. Bear sat breathing 
loudly, and Mr. Dog frisked about his invention, 
patting this thing here with his paw, and pulling 
at that thing there, all with the greatest pride of 
ownership. 

‘‘She ’s the thing,” said Mr. Dog; “she dl take me 
up all right, eh?” 

“Yes,” agreed Mr. Bear, “but — but how about 
coming down?” 

“Oh!” said Mr. Dog readily, though he had n’t 
really thought about that part. “That ’s easy. 
Anybody can come down. It ’s going up that ’s the 
hard part.” 

“You ’ll be killed,” said Mr. Bear in a voice at 
once weak and gruff. Only a bear could have 
talked that way. “Oh, dear Mr. Dog, don’t do it ; I 
beg of you, don’t do it.” 

“I shall, too,” said Mr. Dog, quite upset at Mr. 
Bear’s protest; and the silly thought came into his 
head that Mr. Bear was jealous. 

Mr. Bear began to get angry at Mr. Dog’s fool- 
ishness. 


54 


MR. DOG BECOMES AN INVENTOR 

‘‘I never heard of anything so senseless in all my 
life,” he shouted. 

'‘You mind your own business,” answered Mr. 
Dog, rudely. 

Truly, was n’t it a pity? such talk between old 
friends. And, of course, after that, Mr. Bear felt 
there was nothing more to be done about it. He 
just turned and walked straight out of the wood- 
shed, and he only looked back over his shoulder 
once. 

“Mark my words, Mr. Dog,” he said slowly; “if 
you trust that Mr. Red Fox you ’ll be mighty 
sorry,” and Mr. Bear went into the kitchen, and 
shut the door firmly behind him. 

Well, the next day was clear and pleasant — real 
Indian summer; and by ten o’clock in the morning 
the grass plot in front of Mr. Bear’s house was 
thick with the forest and farmyard people. Every- 
body was there except Mr. Bear, who had shut 
himself in his room, and Mr. Dog, who was in the 
woodshed with his invention, waiting to make a 
great entrance. Even Mr. Owl sat on a branch 

55 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 



After Mr. Dog came eight Jack Rabbits who pulled the great 
invention 


overlooking the place that had been roped off from 
which Mr. Dog was to make his wonderful trial 
at flying. It being daytime, Mr. Owl could n’t see 
a thing, but all the same he wanted to come, though 
he said it was only fair for him to pay but a half- 
penny admission. 

Mr. Red Fox was in fine spirits, and his money 
bag grew heavier and heavier. He was to have 
every twentieth penny himself for his trouble, and 
I fear that he did not count quite honestly, his own 
pockets looked too full. 

56 



MR. DOG BECOMES AN INVENTOR 


Well, as I say, this great crowd was gathered 
together, and presently Mr. Red Fox cried, “Si- 
lence!” in a loud voice, though nobody was talk- 
ing, and out of the woodshed stepped Mr. Dog, 
his red morocco collar ornamented with a big ro- 
sette of red, white and blue ribbon, and after him 
came eight Jack Rabbits, who slowly pulled into its 
place the great invention. 

Mr. Red Fox then made a speech; all about Mr. 
Dog and how smart he was, while Mr. Dog stood 
with his paw on his heart trying to appear modest, 
but really looking very conceited. And then with 
much ceremony Mr. Red Fox attached the money 
bag to Mr. Dog’s collar. Everybody gave three 
cheers, though Miss White Goose was heard to say 
that flying was n’t so much after all. The eight 
Jack Rabbits with a will threw off the stones that 
held the airship down, Mr. Dog made a bow 
but nearly tumbled over as the airship tilted a 
little, the balloons swayed in the breeze, and up he 
went! 

Everybody watched till the airship was only a 

57 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


little speck in the distance and then all departed to 
their homes — that is, all except cunning Mr. Red 
Fox who had watched longest of all, noticed how 
the wind blew, and was now loping along toward 
the river, chuckling as he went in a very disagree- 
able manner, and only stopping to take breath and 
feel the good pennies in his pockets. 

Meanwhile, what of Mr. Dog? He was a very 
different animal by that time I can promise you. 
In fact he was about scared to death, and all or 
nearly all the conceit was fast oozing out of him. 

In the very beginning it had been quite fun. It 
was so new, the feeling of flying up, up, up in the 
air and then to watch the trees getting fast as small 
as bushes, and at length becoming little green blots 
on the brown earth, which was racing along so 
strangely beneath him. Mr. Bear’s cottage seemed 
as tiny as a white sea shell on the beach, and the 
animals about it were only little black dots run- 
ning along and resembling beetles scurrying 
through the grass. But pretty soon the wind rose. 
It took Mr. Dog’s airship in its teeth and shook 

58 


MR. DOG BECOMES AN INVENTOR 

it, and Mr. Dog’s nerves were a good deal jarred. 
Then it gave the balloon ship a gay little toss, and 
Mr. Dog went head over heels, and came right side 
up with every hair standing on end with terror. 
And then off it broke one bright red balloon 
and then it snapped the string of another, a 
blue one this time, and then another and an- 
other. The airship began to sink, and Mr. Dog, 
looking anxiously over the side, saw the brown 
earth coming up to meet him in a hurry, and 
the winding river coming too. The playful wind 
gave a last push to the few remaining balloons, and 
the airship tipped up first one way and then 
another, and at last there came one great final 
tip and off slid poor Mr. Dog, his claws scratching 
the planks, as he tried vainly to hold on, and then 
splash! off sailed the airship lightened of the in- 
ventor’s weight, and down came Mr. Dog into the 
very middle of the river he had seen from his 
wavering perch in the sky. Down, down he went 
and came up choking and splashing, and began to 
swim feebly toward shore. And on the banks of the 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


river, who should be sitting as large as life but Mr. 
Red Fox ! And he was laughing fit to kill himself. 

'‘Ha! Ha! Ha! Mr. Dog,” he called out, as 
soon as he was able to speak, “you do look silly up 
to your neck in water.” 

“Help, Mr. Red Fox! Help!” called back poor 
Mr. Dog, barely able to keep up his desperate 
paddling toward land and safety. 

“Serves you right!” went on Mr. Red Fox with- 
out moving an inch. “A great inventor you are. 
I knew when I first saw your silly airship that 
you ’d surely come to grief.” 

“You did n’t talk so then,” said poor Mr. Dog, 
swallowing, as he spoke, a lot of river water that 
went down the wrong way and made him cough 
terribly; “anyway, help me now! Help me now, 
please, I ’m sinking!” 

“Sink away,” said bad Mr. Red Fox. “It ’s your 
own fault. I shan’t get my brush wet to save you 
from your own foolishness.” 

And I don’t really know what would have hap- 
pened only the river was all this time getting more 
6o 


There came one great final tip, and off slid poor Mr. Dog 









MR. DOG BECOMES AN INVENTOR 

and more shallow and just then Mr. Dog struck a 
mud flat and began to slowly make his way to firmer 
land. But near shore he stuck fast and began to 
sink again. Lower and lower he went and at last 
with shaking voice he begged Mr. Red Fox once 
more for help. 

“Well,” said Mr. Red Fox, picking his way 
daintily through the shallow water to where poor 
Mr. Dog was stranded; “I suppose I must help you 
this once. You he too heavy, Mr. Dog, that ’s the 
trouble. I ’ll just take your collar off and your 
money bag. They ’ll both come in handy for me, 
and then you ’ll be lighter.” And so saying wicked 
Mr. Red Fox coolly did as he had suggested. And 
the worst of it was Mr. Dog could n’t help it. 

“Stop, thief, stop!” cried Mr. Dog, but Mr. Red 
Fox only turned his back and, making for the for- 
est, was soon lost to sight. 

In one way this dreadful behavior was a good 
thing for Mr. Dog, for he got so angry his strength 
came back, and he floundered about with so much 
spirit that in the end he reached the river’s bank. 

63 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 



“Ha! Ha! Ha! Mr. Dog,” he called out 

Safe and sound at last; but my! was n’t he a sight! 
All covered with mud and torn with briers, for he 

64 


MR. DOG BECOMES AN INVENTOR 

had been forced to make his way through a thorny 
patch before getting on the right road to home. 

And oh! how far off Mr. Bear’s beautiful house 
seemed! But there was nothing for it but to set 
out, and weary and footsore he was, I can tell you, 
before he reached there. 

Meanwhile, good Mr. Bear, who was very anx- 
ious about Mr. Dog and very lonely, had just got 
ready for bed since the moon had risen but no air- 
ship was to be seen, and it seemed foolish to wait 
longer. But just as with a heavy sigh he turned 
to lock the door, there came through the still night 
the sound of faltering steps, and poor, tired, 
muddy, sad Mr. Dog came in sight. Mr. Bear was 



65 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


so glad he almost cried, and he quite forgot the 
hard things that had been said at their last meeting. 

“Welcome home! welcome home!” he cried out 
as Mr. Dog limped slowly up the path. 

Now Mr. Dog had been foolish, and he had been 
vain, and he had been selfish, and he had been rude ; 
but he was mighty sorry for it all, and now he did 
a really fine thing. For he was willing to own up 
he had been in the wrong and that is generally hard 
to manage. He hung his head but he spoke up 
bravely. 

“Please forgive me, Mr. Bear,” he said, “for all 
my foolishness. I won't come in till you do. And 
as for my silly airship — ” 

“Nonsense,” interrupted Mr. Bear in his kindest, 
gruffest voice, “come right along, Mr. Dog; I ’ll get 
some hot supper ready in a jiffy, and I ’m sure it 
was a very nice airship indeed. But it ’s nicer still 
to have you home again safe and sound,” and so 
saying, Mr. Bear led the way into the house, and 
Mr. Dog followed. 


66 



And oh ! how far off Mr. Bear’s beautiful house seemed 


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PART IV 

MR. RED FOX GETS MORE THAN HE COMES FOR 

W HEN Mr. Bear had heard all Mr. Dog’s ad- 
ventures and the mean way Mr. Red Fox 
had treated his friend, he was very angry and 
he made up his mind that 

SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE 
ABOUT IT 

That ’s just the way Mr. Bear said it to himself. 
And he thought and he thought and by and by 
he fixed on the most beautiful plan. When he 
told it to Mr. Dog, I remember they were having 
afternoon tea in the garden, Mr. Dog fell right off 
his chair he laughed so hard and he had to stuff 
his napkin into his mouth before he could stop 
laughing. 

''That ’s perfectly fine, Mr. Bear. You certainly 

69 



MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

are a wonder,” he said when he could speak. But 
Mr. Bear modestly shook his head. 


“Now the very first thing to do is to put up the sign” 

70 


MR. RED FOX 


“I hope it works right, that ’s all,” he answered; 
“and now the very first thing to do is to put up the 
sign ‘Fresh eggs for sale.’ ” 

Now of course you wonder what eggs had to do 
with Mr. Bear’s plan about punishing Mr. Red Fox 
for his bad conduct toward Mr. Dog that time he 
fell into the river, but you must just wait patiently 
and listen, for if I told you right out now the way 
Mr. Bear told Mr. Dog, you too might roll off your 
chair laughing and stuff a napkin in your mouth 
and I ’m afraid your dear mothers might n’t like it. 

Well, they put the sign up where it could 
be plainly seen by any of the forest or farm- 
yard people who passed, and then they got 
out all the newspapers for a week back and 
began to read over again the thing that every- 
body in the woods and out of it was talking 
about. To put it into a few words, a number of 
Mr. Bear’s and Mr. Dog’s friends had begun to lose 
valuables, and in a very queer way. First, an 
oddly dressed fellow with a long green coat and a 
slouch hat tied with a ribbon tight under his chin 

71 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


so you could only see the top of a pointed nose — 
such a fellow would call with some story at this 
one’s house or that, and right afterwards it would 
be found that something very nice indeed had dis- 
appeared. Sometimes it was the dinner, which is 
always annoying, sometimes it was a beautiful 
warm muffler or a pair of boots. The most ex- 
pensive thing was a silver teapot belonging to 
Mrs. Opossum, a widow with a large family, who 
had, she said tearfully, just turned her back on the 
stranger for a moment. Now nobody knew just 
who the thief was, but many guessed. 

Wise Mr. Owl for one had seen a fine red bushy 
tail one evening when the green coat had caught 
for a moment on a hedge, while the odd stranger 
was passing through. 

Mr. Gray Goose said, '‘Of course he did n’t care 
to have the thing repeated as coming from him, but 
he must say there were a great many more feathers 
in Mr. Red Fox’s back yard than could easily be 
explained away.” This was the first time any one 
had said Mr. Red Fox’s name right out loud like 

72 


MR. RED FOX 


that, but the forest people who heard it all nodded 
their heads. Only Miss White Goose, who was a 
silly, ventured to remark that for her part, she 
thought Mr. Red Fox a very dashing fellow and it 
was a pity to condemn him unheard, and that she 
did know for a fact that the Old Woman who lived 
in a Shoe had children who would nibble anybody’s 
crumbs that came their way, whether their own or 
not. This made the Old Woman who lived in a 
Shoe very angry. She said crumbs were quite dif- 
ferent from silver teapots, which was true, and for 
her part, she thought she brought her children up 
very well indeed and if whipping them all round 
every night without fail was n’t doing her duty, 
perhaps Miss White Goose would teach it to her. 

All this gossip had come back with more besides 
to Mr. Bear’s attentive ears, and at last the thefts 
got so bad that they got into the newspapers. 

''We ’ll have to get the police; that ’s what we ’ll 
have to do,” sobbed Mrs. Opossum. "My beauti- 
ful silver teapot! What would my dear husband 
have said if he had been alive ! But a poor widow 
73 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 



“There, there, don’t cry, dear Mrs. Opossum” 

has nobody to look out for her,” and she wiped her 
eyes on the corner of her shawl. 

74 


MR. RED FOX 


‘‘There, there, don’t cry, dear Mrs. Opossum,” 
said Mr. Bear in a comforting voice, for it was to 
him she had been telling for the tenth time of the 
loss of her beautiful teapot the day the stranger 
had called and asked for a drink of water and 
she had just turned her back for a moment. 

“No, no, my good woman, we don’t want the 
police. If it is Mr. Red Fox who is doing all this, 
as people seem to think, he ’s so sly he would only 
make us all look foolish if we came out with any 
such story to the police without any proofs. What 
we want is to catch him in the act and make him 
give back the things, and make him so sorry and 
ashamed of himself besides that he ’ll leave the for- 
est for good.” 

“O dear Mr. Bear,” said the widow, sobbing 
harder than ever at the thought of getting back 
her teapot; “blessings on you forever if you can do 
that, Mr. Bear, but do it as soon as you can, won’t 
you?” 

“Yes, indeed,” said Mr. Bear; “I’ve a score of 
my own to settle. Mr. Dog has been robbed and 
75 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


badly treated too, and whoever touches Mr. Dog, 
touches me.” And he looked so fierce that the 
Widow Opossum scurried home without any fur- 
ther leave-taking. 

Mr. Bear went into the house and with the help 
of Mr. Dog he fixed some very heavy window 
weights on the pantry window. Then he and Mr. 
Dog arranged a cord in such a way that the win- 
dow could be easily opened or shut from Mr. Bear’s 
chamber window which was directly above. Then 
Mr. Bear got about two dozen nice fresh eggs and 
put them in a market basket on the pantry floor 
just under the window, which he left about six 
inches open. Then he and Mr. Dog pulled a board 
over near the house and left it there just outside, 
where it would be extremely handy for any one try- 
ing to get into the house to use. And last of all, 
Mr. Bear took out his jackknife and went into the 
forest nearby, and when he came back he had sev- 
eral nice, limber, birch switches without any leaves 
or twigs on them. These he carried carefully into 
the house and then locked up as usual for it was 
76 


MR. RED FOX 

getting dark and he and Mr. Dog went to their 
rooms for the night. 

Meanwhile Mr. Red Fox was at home and a 
snug little place it was. Just two rooms and a 
lean-to with crimson window curtains now tightly 
drawn so that nobody could peep in, an open fire 
where some nice stew was slowly cooking, sending 
out the most attractive odors, and Mr. Red Fox 
himself in a cushioned rocking chair with his feet 
on another, and drinking a cup of tea which had 
just been poured from a fat silver teapot that 
looked for all the world like the one that Mrs. 
Opossum was always talking about. 

Mr. Red Fox ate his supper with relish, washed 
his whiskers, let the fire die out, washed the silver 
teapot and put it away — where do you think? Not 
on a shelf, oh no ! not in plain sight anywhere, but 
under the mattress of his bed. From this strange 
place Mr. Red Fox also took a bag of money. The 
very bag of money that he had stolen from poor 
Mr. Dog the day Mr. Dog almost drowned in the 
river. He also took out several other articles and 
77 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

last of all the red morocco collar with its burnished 
brass plate that winked merrily in the light of the 
lamp on the table. 

Mr. Red Fox put on the collar and then walked 
up and down before the mirror, admiring himself. 
By this time it was getting quite late. Mr. Red 
Fox opened the cottage door just a crack and 
looked cautiously out. Not a sound or sign of any- 
thing. He locked the door again, and went to the 
cupboard where he pulled out a long faded green 
coat and an old slouch hat that he tied firmly un- 
der his chin so that only the end of his pointed nose 
showed. Then he went and rolled in the ashes that 
were now only pleasantly warm in the fireplace. 
Yes, he did! and when he stood up he was not Mr. 
Red Fox but Mr. Dingy Gray Fox, and that suited 
him better. He put on his old green coat, tucked 
the money bag and other things away beneath the 
mattress, all but the collar which he forgot he had 
on, opened the door, went out after listening a mo- 
ment, locked it, put the key in his pocket and saun- 
tered off in the direction of Mr. Bear’s cottage. 

78 


MR. RED FOX 


Mr. Red Fox sauntered off in the direction of Mr. Bear’s cottage 

You see Mr. Red Fox had read the sign I told you 
about. 



79 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


FRESH EGGS FOR SALE 


and if there was one thing more than another that 
he just doted on, it was fresh eggs. 

Meanwhile Mr. Bear was sound asleep in his 
four post bed and Mr. Dog was asleep, but not so 
soundly, in his white iron cot. Mr. Bear, some 
people have said, could sleep through a whole win- 
ter without waking up. That seems a pretty long 
nap to me, but I ’m sure of one thing, Mr. Dog 
could n’t even get through one night without wak- 
ing a half dozen times at least, and listening to 
make sure that everything was as it should be. It 
was clear starlight and you could see quite plainly 
all about the cottage. Mr. Dog went to the win- 
dow to glance about, and as he did so, he drew 
softly though quickly back, for something or some- 
body below was stirring. 

Mr. Dog hardly breathed for fear of making a 
noise, but the stranger beneath, after looking care- 
80 





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fully around, went and got the wooden board that 
Mr. Bear had left so near the house, put it softly 
against the side of the cottage, scrambled up 
without making a single sound, and squeezing 
through the opened window, disappeared into the 
pantry. It was too dark for Mr. Dog to be per- 
fectly sure, but he thought the intruder had worn 
a long coat and a slouch hat well tied on over his 
eyes. Mr. Dog ran quietly but swiftly to Mr. 
Bear’s chamber and bit Mr. Bear gently on the ear, 
for this was the best way to wake him up in a hurry. 

‘‘SH-sh,” said Mr. Dog in a whisper, '‘he ’s there, 
he ’s in the pantry.” 

"Good enough,’^ whispered back Mr. Bear, and 
he walked, for all his great body, as lightly as ever 
Mr. Dog could do to the window of the room. 

Nothing to be seen and nothing to be heard un- 
less a faint crunching of eggshells might be possi- 
bly noticed. 

Mr. Bear was smiling. He had the slender rope 
that went from the pantry window up into his own 
firmly held in his paw. He was watching 

83 


room 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


and so was Mr. Dog, who was as still as a stone 
dog on somebody’s lawn, for he never even so much 
as wagged the tip of his tail. 

So they waited, and by and by the hall clock be- 
gan to strike : one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, 
eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve! Midnight! and 
then from below came the least little bit of a noise. 
The pantry window moved just a trifle, somebody 
with a slouch hat on stuck his head out, waited, 
and then very cautiously stole down the board that 
had been left tilted against the cottage wall be- 
neath the window. Out, as I have said, came his 
head, and out came his body, long coat and all — 
all did I say? No, not quite all, for the stranger’s 
bushy tail was still within and at that precise mo- 
ment Mr. Bear let the cord loose in his hand that 
held up the window weights and down came the 
window and held the stranger fast. And oh, how 
he struggled and kicked and pawed the sloping 
board! No use, there he was held fast, high and 
dry, head down and tail up and no prospect in 
sight of getting away, to say the least. 


MR. RED FOX 


Mr. Bear stopped long enough to get his beauti- 
ful limber birch switches and then he and Mr. 
Dog made their way outside. 

‘'What ’s this? What ’s this?” said Mr. Bear in 
a loud voice. “Why, it looks like Brother Red 
Fox. Upon my word, Mr. Dog, it does. Is that 
your opinion?” 

“It certainly is, Mr. Bear,” said Mr. Dog, “but 
what is Mr. Red Fox doing here?” 

“If you please, gentlemen,” said the stranger, 
who was really no stranger at all, as you know, and 
talking in a high, squeaky voice, “I ’m only a poor 
wayfarer in search of a crust of bread. Let me go, 
gentlemen, kindly let me go and I ’ll trouble you 
no more.” 

“Wayfarer, indeed!” said Mr. Bear with a 
grunt. “We know you too well for such tricks, 
Mr. Red Fox.” 

“Red Fox!” squeaked the intruder in pretended 
surprise. “Red Fox! My dear sir, I never even 
heard of him, and I could n’t be him anyway. See 
how gray my fur is.” 


85 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


“Yes,” said Mr. Bear shortly, “I see, and I think 
I can soon change it back to its right color.” And 
without more words Mr. Bear took the birch switch 
in his great paw and began to give Mr. Red Fox 
the most thorough thrashing he had ever had in all 
his life. The wood ashes flew up in a cloud so that 
it made Mr. Dog think of what happened when 
you beat a very dusty carpet, and Mr. Bear 
sneezed and coughed, but never stopped for a mo- 
ment till the switch broke fairly in two. 

Mr. Red Fox was begging at the top of his lungs 
to be let off, and making promises without number, 
to which Mr. Bear paid not the slightest attention. 

“Be so kind, Mr. Dog, as to hand me that other 
switch,” was all he said, and at this Mr. Red Fox 
redoubled his cries and prayers. 

“So you feel you Ve had enough, Mr. Red Fox?” 
Mr. Bear asked sternly. 

“Oh, yes! quite too much,” answered Mr. Red 
Fox promptly. 

“Well,” said Mr. Bear, “this last was just a little 
matter of business between you and me. It helps 
86 



“Be so kind, Mr. Dog, as to hand me that other switch” 



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MR. RED FOX 


to even things up for the way you treated Mr. Dog 
here. But now there are other matters. What 
about the stolen muffler? What about the boots? 
What about Mr. Dog’s collar and money bag? 
What about the silver teapot?” And with each 
question he gave Mr. Red Fox a reminder that his 
arm was as strong as ever, and the second birch 
switch just as limber and useful as the first. 

‘Dh! oh! oh!” said Mr. Red Fox, and his 
slouched hat fell off and his green coat was split 
right down the back by his frantic struggles. 
“Never took ’em. Give ’em all back,” he panted. 

“Very well,” said Mr. Bear, pausing and wiping 
his forehead with the back of his paw, for though it 
was a cool night he was quite heated with his exer- 
tions. And the end of the matter was, Mr. Red 
Fox had to tell Mr. Dog and Mr. Bear just where 
he kept all the things he had stolen and promise 
to leave that part of the country just as soon as he 
could sell his house and pack up his belongings. 

“And just make sure they are your belongings,” 
said Mr. Bear in a terrible voice, “for if you take so 
89 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


much as a pinfeather that does n’t belong to you, 
Mr. Red Fox, I ’ll find it out and then — ” 

‘‘I won’t,” interrupted Mr. Red Fox hurriedly, 
''I won’t, I won’t!” And the end of it was, Mr. 
Dog was sent to fetch the money and the boots and 
the muffler and the teapot and all the other articles, 
having first put on his own red morocco collar 
taken from Mr. Red Fox’s neck, and mighty glad 
he was to get it. 

While he was gone, Mr. Bear sat comfortably 
down beside unhappy Mr. Red Fox, who was still 
pinned fast by his brush to the pantry window, 
and who had to listen to such a long moral lecture 
from Mr. Bear that, taken with the beating he had 
received, had the effect of making Mr. Red Fox 
forever dislike above everything the very sight or 
smell of an egg. 

And when Mr. Dog, heavily laden, did come 
panting up there was nobody in all the wide world 
so glad to see him as this same Mr. Red Fox, who 
lost no time, I can tell you, in running for home 
just as fast as his aching bones would let him. 

90 


MR. RED FOX 


And that is the story of how Mr. Red Fox got 
more than he came for. 

After this, Mr. Dog and Mr. Bear lived on to- 
gether very happily and comfortably, and were 
everywhere much respected and liked by the forest 
and farm people. They all considered that Mr. 
Bear had been very remarkable in getting back 
everything, excepting dinners, that Mr. Red Fox 
had stolen, and in getting rid of Mr. Red Fox him- 
self, and as they never knew the sad ending of Mr. 
Dog’s ride in the airship, they thought Mr. Dog 
a very wonderful person too. 

And it is really true that Mr. Bear was only a 
little lazy and Mr. Dog only a little vain, and that 
both grew less and less so as time went on, and that 
each day found them always and always better and 
better friends. 


91 


PART V 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR GO TO SCHOOL ! 

O NE lovely fall day Mr. Dog and Mr. Bear 
were sitting on the porch, and Mr. Bear was 
reading the newspaper. Mr. Dog felt rather im- 
patient. He did not like to keep interrupting Mr. 
Bear, who was busy with the animal sporting page, 
and yet he very much wished that Mr. Bear would 
hurry up and finish, for there was something very 
important that Mr. Dog was anxious to talk about. 
I suppose he must have coughed and sighed, and 
moved about a great deal without knowing it, in 
the manner of people who are uneasy; at any rate, 
pretty soon Mr. Bear did stop reading, and looked 
up over the top of the newspaper at Mr. Dog, who 
that moment was discontentedly biting his paw. 
Mr. Bear slowly took off his spectacles and put 
92 


GO TO SCHOOL! 


them in their case. He was vei*y particular to al- 
ways wear them for real work. He had bought 
them of a peddler not long before and though they 
were only of plain glass, Mr. Bear was very proud 
of them and said while they did n’t exactly make 
him see better, they did make him feel better and 
he was sure they improved his looks. 

Now, having laid them carefully one side, he 
began, “Well, Brother Dog, out with it; what’s 
the matter?” 

Mr. Dog was much surprised. Mr. Bear was so 
slow in some ways that his quickness in others was 
something of a puzzle. 

“Why, what makes you think there ’s anything 
wrong, Mr. Bear?” asked Mr. Dog. 

“Well, I ’ve watched you, out of the corner of 
my eye, fidgeting about,” said Mr. Bear, “for the 
last twenty minutes. You ’ve moved the porch 
rug to at least four different places, and you ’ve 
watered that geranium twice and you ’ve even been 
reading a book upside down.” 

“Yes,” said Mr. Dog in a low sad voice, “that ’s 

93 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


it; that ’s it exactly. You see I was trying to see 
if it was easier reading that way.” 

“Easier that way !” exclaimed Mr. Bear. “What 
nonsense!” 

Mr. Dog said nothing, so Mr. Bear went on a 
little impatiently, “Well, was it?” 

“No,” said Mr. Dog, “it wasn’t nonsense; for 
the point is, it is n’t easy for me reading things 
right side up either.” 

Mr. Bear laid the newspaper right down and sat 
up pricking his ears so suddenly that off went his 
red bandana handkerchief put on to keep the flies 
away. 

“What do you mean, Mr. Dog?” he said. 

Mr. Dog opened his mouth and then shut it. 
Then he opened it again and began, “You see, Mr. 
Bear, it ’s this way. I was always a poor dog till 
I met you, and you were so good to me — ” 

“Nonsense,” growled Mr. Bear, blushing very 
hard under his fur. 

“And,” went on Mr. Dog, “the long and short of 
it is I never went to school. You see, I never really 
94 


GO TO SCHOOL! 


got a chance and I ’ve just picked up a little here 
and there. But as to sitting down and enjoying 
the paper the way you do, why, Mr. Bear, I think 
it ’s just wonderful!” 

“Nonsense!” said Mr. Bear for the third time, 
and feeling really uncomfortable, for somehow 
things did n’t seem quite fair. Then he brightened 
up. 

“Why not practise and get so you do enjoy it"?” 
he asked. 

Mr. Dog shook his head. 

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” he 
said. 

“Yes, you can,” answered Mr. Bear quickly and 
quite excited. “Don’t tell me a bright dog like you 
could n’t learn to read and read well. All you 
need is a first class teacher.” Mr. Bear scratched 
his head and thought a while in silence, then he 
jumped up and clapped Mr. Dog on the shoulder. 
“The very thing, old fellow,” he said. “I ’ve got 
it. We ’ll have a school. We ’ll have it right here 
in my woodshed and we ’ll have Mr. Owl for 
95 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


schoolmaster. There you are. I guess there won’t 
be much trouble now about a little simple reading, 
and writing and arithmetic too, Mr. Dog.” And 
Mr. Bear fairly beamed with joy. 

But Mr. Dog hung his head. 

‘1 ’m ashamed,” he said, ‘‘to be going to school 
at my age.” 

“Ashamed,” said Mr. Bear stoutly, “of course 
you ’re not ashamed. Why, / 7/ go — you see, win- 
ters when school kept I slept most of the time when 
I was young and there ’s simply hundreds of things 
I don’t know. Why,” went on Mr. Bear, warming 
up to the subject, “I guess, Mr. Dog, there are ques- 
tions about ’most anything you could ask me that I 
could n’t answer; and as for the people in this for- 
est, they ’d be a lot better for a little schooling. 
Look at Miss Gray Goose. Would school hurt her^ 
I’d like to know? Look at those young rabbits 
growing up without any education and no man- 
ners ! Why,” said Mr. Bear, wiping his forehead, 
for he was getting really heated with the idea of all 
the ignorance around him, “I wonder I never 



Miss Gray Goose quite talked the hens and turkeys into coming 







GO TO SCHOOL! 


thought of it before. It ’s a crying shame, Mr. 
Dog, that ’s what it is, that we Ve had no school in 
this forest, and it takes a clever fellow like you to 
think of having one.” 

Mr. Dog began to cheer up. 

‘‘Well,” he said slowly, “if you think Mr. Owl 
would do it.” 

“Do it,” said Mr. Bear, “he ’d just jump at it. 
Nothing he likes better than telling other people 
what to do.” 

“And,” went on Mr. Dog, “if you think the for- 
est people would come — ” 

“Come!” said Mr. Bear in his biggest voice. 
“Come! You’d better believe they’d come. It 
will be in my woodshed and I shall personally in- 
vite them. I guess they ’ve come quick enough to 
any parties I ’ve given.” 

“Yes,” said Mr. Dog, “but this is different. 
This is school.” 

‘^All the more reason,” answered Mr. Bear 
quickly; “what ’s a party anyhow? Anybody can 
go to a party and after it ’s eaten up what have 

99 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


you? But school, why, you generally have to pay 
to go to school, and what you get there you take 
away with you.” 

‘‘Well,” said Mr. Dog, “I ’ll do everything I can 
to make it a success. And speaking of the wood- 
shed do you think the rabbit family could sit on the 
wash bench, where I keep the tubs, you know? It ’s 
pretty long and there are such a lot of them.” 

“To be sure,” said Mr. Bear, “and Miss Gray 
Goose and her kind can perch on the saw-horse. 
The Old Woman in the Shoe can have the parlor 
armchair and she can have her switch handy and 
keep those young rabbits in order.” 

“I ’ll sit on the sugar bucket,” interrupted Mr. 
Dog, “I would n’t trust any of that kindergarten 
lot with it.” 

“And I guess I ’ll have to bring out my own 
rocker for myself, I ’m so heavy,” finished Mr. 
Bear. 

“We ’ll have to fix up a table and put the short 
step ladder behind it for Mr. Owl,” went on Mr. 
Dog, getting more and more interested. “That ’ll 
100 


GO TO SCHOOL! 


be handy for him, for he will need to get up and 
down a lot to keep things going right in the be- 
ginning, and if Mrs. Opossum and her family come, 
we can manage to use some of the kitchen set, and 
the chairs from the front chamber.” 

Mr. Bear rubbed his paws together and chuckled. 
"‘All we need now is a blackboard, some chalk and 
a book or two and the school is as good as started. 
Let’s have an early lunch, Mr. Dog, and then we ’ll 
go together to Mr. Owl, make the arrangements 
and get the people together. I do believe we can 
begin this week and by next, Mr. Dog, you ’ll be 
reading the news with anybody.” 

The two friends therefore made a hasty meal; 
so hasty, in fact, that Mr. Dog was wiping his 
whiskers with the back of his paw when on his way 
to the forest, which was n’t good table-manners, but 
perhaps may be excused on account of the many 
things that had yet to be arranged before school 
could be started. 

Mr. Owl was asleep when they got to his hollow- 
tree home, and to tell the truth he was not at all 
101 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


pleased at being waked up. However, when he 
found out how really important the errand was, 
he smoothed his ruffled feathers and promised to do 
his best. But there was one thing that Mr. Dog 
and Mr. Bear had quite forgotten. Mr. Owl could 
and would only teach school at night. They 
begged him to try it for once in the daytime but 
without success. 

“Impossible, my good friends,’’ he said, blinking 
his great yellow eyes as he spoke. “I never work 
daytimes. My family is nocturnal in its habits : al- 
together so.” And, as neither Mr. Dog nor Mr. 
Bear had the least idea what “nocturnal” meant, 
they said rather sadly that Mr. Owl must have it 
his own way, and arranged with him to begin school 
that very evening, for Mr. Owl was secretly de- 
lighted at the chance of being schoolmaster to the 
whole forest, and said they must certainly lose no 
time in commencing the good work. 

You can imagine how busy this made Mr. Dog 
and Mr. Bear. They put their heads together as 
soon as they left Mr. Owl, and Mr. Dog decided 
102 


GO TO SCHOOL! 


to get back to the cottage as fast as his four paws 
would take him, and fix up the schoolroom, while 
Mr. Bear went around and got the pupils. 

Of the two, it was really Mr. Bear who had the 
hardest time. You can take quite a big table and 
make it go where you like, even if it hangs back 
and is heavy, but it is hard making animals do some- 
thing different from anything they have ever tried 
in their lives before. However, Mr. Bear had 
pretty good success on the whole. Only the Edu- 
cated Pig refused flatly to corne, because he said he 
knew enough already. Mrs. Jack Rabbit was quite 
upset also, in the beginning, at the idea of having 
her young rabbits up at night, and she said she 
did n’t see how she was ever going to get through 
the work if she had to cook breakfast twice and 
extra lunches, for she knew that Mr. Jack Rabbit, 
who was very particular about his meals, would 
never consent to his children going to school with- 
Dut their breakfast even if they had just got through 
supper, and then think of the dinner pails she 
would have to pack, for of course her family would 
103 



MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

expect their fresh lettuce as soon as school was 
over, no matter what the hour. She called after 
Mr. Bear, who was hurrying down the road after 


Only the Educated Pig refused flatly to come 

104 


GO TO SCHOOL! 


more pupils, that she feared also she would over- 
sleep the next day, and then when would the wash- 
ing get hung out to dry, but Mr. Bear only waved 
his paw at her and disappeared at a turn in the 
road. To tell the truth, Mr. Bear was beginning 
to feel that sometimes you had to pay too great a 
price for knowledge and he did n’t want Mrs. Jack 
Rabbit to guess his secret thoughts. 

Miss Gray Goose, on the contrary, was delighted 
at the idea of going to school, for she always loved 
anything new and was as vain as she was silly; she 
was very sure she would shine as a pupil, and she 
quite talked the hens and turkeys into coming, 
though not one of them had ever sat up after seven 
o’clock at night in their lives. 

Mrs. Opossum said she did n’t like to leave her 
house alone now that she had got her silver teapot 
safely back, the one Mr. Red Fox stole, you re- 
member, but Mr. Bear told her it would be all right 
for her to bring it to school with her, and then 
she consented. 

The Old Woman who lived, in a Shoe said she 
105 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


would n’t bring her children, that was flat. Mr. 
Owl was not to be trusted with young mice. In- 
deed, she had heard tales, and she thought she was 
too old herself to learn new-fangled ideas. Still 
she might look in provided she got the children fed, 
and spanked, and put to bed in season. 

On the whole, Mr. Bear, footsore and weary now, 
still felt he had got things well started. 

He found Mr. Dog with his head tied up in a 
duster sweeping out the woodshed, which was in 
apple pie order, but Mr. Dog was dog-tired, if you 
know what that means. In fact neither of the 
friends really felt like doing any further hard work, 
even for the sake of getting to know much more 
than any animals of their kind had ever learned be- 
fore. 

It was pretty late by the time their simple tea 
was over, and several young rabbits with spelling 
books and arithmetics had already arrived, and 
were playing ‘‘Bye, Baby Bunting,” a favorite rab- 
bit game, while waiting for their anxious mother, 
who was following with the rest of her family. In 
106 


GO TO SCHOOL! 



“Please, teacher, Benjamin Bunny is pinching me” 

the game we speak of the hunter never gets the rab- 
bit skin to wrap the baby bunting in, and that is 
partly why the young bunnies like to play it. In 
fact, they liked it so well that Mr. Bear had to 
really growl, and Mr. Dog had to make believe 
snap, before the youngsters were driven into the 
woodshed and seated on the wash bench. There 
were in fact so many of them that you could n’t 
have got in another young rabbit to save your 
107 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


life, and if one in the middle so much as giggled, 
the end one promptly fell off and Mr. Bear had to 
seat them all over again. 

Well, at last they got settled and then the other 
pupils arrived. Miss Gray Goose wanted a very 
front seat and insisted at first that she perch on the 
teacher’s table. Mrs. Opossum was so busy set- 
tling herself comfortably where she could keep an 
eye on her silver teapot, that she made the whole 
second row change their places three times. 

The Old Woman in the Shoe did come after all, 
looking very hot and cross and tired, and was be- 
ginning to make a fuss about the teacher’s not be- 
ing on time, when just then Mr. Owl arrived, 
looking so wise and important that even the Old 
Woman stopped talking and the whole school sat 
with its eyes wide open, and those having ears had 
them well pricked forward. 

Mr. Owl brought a pointer and some chalk which 
he placed on the table. He then settled himself on 
his perch, opened his beak, and began — ''The ob- 
ject of this school,” said he, " is to teach all branches 
108 



“Order,” he said in a stern voice 


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4 


GO TO SCHOOL! 


of learning. I will begin with simple reading, 
writing and so on and go on to — ” 

‘Tlease, teacher,” interrupted a young rabbit, 
“Benjamin Bunny is pinching me.” Mr. Owl 
rapped smartly on his desk with his pointer. “Or- 
der,” he said in a stern voice. “The first class in 
spelling will now recite.” 

Nobody moved but everybody looked at his 
neighbor. 

“How do you expect me to teach,” said Mr. 
Owl crossly, “if no one recites anything?” He 
looked about and caught Miss Gray Goose’s eyes 
fixed upon him. 

“Spell Tox,’ Miss Gray Goose,” he said. 

Now Miss Gray Goose had n’t an idea in the 
world how to go about this and she was ashamed 
to confess her ignorance, so she just drooped her 
head and repeating, “Fox! oh, that name! that 
name!” fell limply off her perch as though she had 
really fainted. As water runs off a goose’s or 
duck’s back without, making any impression, at 
first nobody knew quite what to do to revive her. 

Ill 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


You can imagine the disgust of Mr. Owl, of Mr. 
Dog and of Mr. Bear, the delight of the mischie- 
vous young rabbits, and the confusion this caused 
in the school. But after a time Miss Gray Goose, 
after weakly fluttering her wings, got slowly better, 
and went back to her perch, and lessons began in 
earnest. That is, they were supposed to have be- 
gun, but really I don’t think there was much work 
accomplished. 

In the middle of a learned lecture on “bird seed” 
by Mr. Owl, who, having no use whatever for this 
form of food, was giving his ideas with much force 
to his pupils, the whole front row of little rabbits 
who had gone sound asleep fell with a crash to the 
floor. Then indeed there was wailing and weep- 
ing, and the most terrible disorder, in the midst 
of which Mrs. Jack Rabbit indignantly marshaled 
her family into line, and took them home, followed 
by Miss Gray Goose, who said she did n’t feel very 
well and thought school too confining for any one 
of delicate nerves like herself, and by Mrs. Opos- 
sum, who at the sound of the crash had gathered 
1 12 


GO TO SCHOOL! 


up her precious teapot, and left by the nearest win- 
dow. As for the Old Woman in the Shoe, a clap of 
thunder would n’t have disturbed her. She was 
sound asleep, and snoring in the parlor armchair 
while her neighbors, the hens and turkeys, were 
squawking and running hither and thither, to the 
profound disgust of Mr. Dog, Mr. Bear and the 
schoolteacher. In fact, Mr. Owl was so really dis- 
gusted that as soon as he could make himself heard 
he declared that school was over — for that night, 
and as far as he was concerned for ever. '‘It is 
quite impossible,” said he, "to teach a school where 
every few moments the pupils fall off their seats 
to the floor.” And despite the entreaties of 
Mr. Dog and Mr. Bear, he spread his wings and 
flew majestically away, followed in silence by 
all those who had remained after the mishap of 
the young rabbits. Mr. Dog and Mr. Bear were 
quite alone and for a few moments neither 
spoke. 

Then Mr. Dog gave a heavy sigh and wiped away 
a tear. "And to think,” said he, "that after all 

113 



MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

that work and trouble I shall never learn to read 
the newspaper.” 

Mr. Bear went up to him and laid his paw on 
his shoulder. “Mr. Dog,” said he, “dry your eyes. 


“Mr. Dog, dry your eyes” 

114 


GO TO SCHOOL! 


As I said before, all you need is a good teacher. 
Mr. Dog, I think we are well rid of these silly for- 
est people, and even of Mr. Owl, who does not un- 
derstand us. I said all you needed was a good 
teacher. Now, Mr. Dog, I fear I may not be that, 
but at least I know what you want, and I will try 
my best to give it to you. After this we spend five 
evenings a week in study, just you and I, and, 
Mr. Dog, you are such a bright fellow I do not fear 
but that before winter has gone, you will be reading 
as well as any one.” 

''Hurrah!” said Mr. Dog, his eyes sparkling. 
"Hurrah! Perhaps I can!” and it only remains 
to be said that he did, and that neither regretted 
the sudden ending of Mr. Owl’s night school. 


115 


f 


PART VI 


MR. BEAR TELLS A STORY 

Y OU remember how badly the young children 
of Mrs. Jack Rabbit had acted that only 
night of theirs at school in Mr. Bear’s woodshed. 
Well, after they got home and had had their sup- 
per, and gone to bed, and slept soundly till late 
the following morning, they woke up and began to 
talk things over. Peter Rabbit was rather ashamed 
of himself for one, and he reminded the others of 
how kind Mr. Bear had been to them, and how, 
though he spoke so gruffly, he generally had a few 
choice carrots in his coat pocket for them when they 
met. The others hung their heads, and even Ben- 
jamin Bunny, who was the most mischievous of 
them all, seemed really sorry for having bothered 
good Mr. Bear, and when Peter Rabbit proposed 
they should bring him up a jar of preserved blue- 
116 


MR. BEAR TELLS A STORY 

berries, for which Mrs. Jack Rabbit was justly 
famous, and make a handsome apology that very 
day, they one and all agreed. 

Mr. Bear was strolling up and down his gravel 
walk watching Mr. Dog, who was sitting on the 
front porch book in hand saying over and over to 
himself, ‘‘d-o-g — dog, b-e-a-r — bear,” and other 
words, a list of which had been given him by his 
new teacher to learn perfectly before evening. 

Mr. Bear saw the young rabbits timidly ap- 
proaching two by two, in a procession that was un- 
usually orderly in its arrangement, and at first he 
scowled, for he thought they must be up to some 
new mischief. 

But Peter Rabbit, cap in hand, came up promptly 
if politely and giving Mr. Bear no time to speak, 
told his errand, and before he had done, Mr. Dog 
had stopped lessons to listen, and Mr. Bear was 
beaming on the whole party. He accepted the 
jar of blueberries and the apology together, and 
invited them up, and was looking about for some- 
thing with which to entertain his guests, when Mr. 
117 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 



Mr. Bear saw the young rabbits timidly approaching two by two 


Dog suggested that Mr. Bear tell his famous story. 

‘‘A story ! a story ! O dear, good Mr. Bear, please 
do tell us a story,” clamored all the young rabbits, 
and in less time than it takes to write it, Peter Rab- 
bit and Benjamin Bunny had Mr. Bear’s favorite 
rocker out on the porch, and in another minute 
every little rabbit present was seated as close as 
possible to the story-teller. Some on the piazza 
steps, some on the walk, and others overflowing 
onto the grass, but as near together as they could 
well manage. Mr. Bear, seated comfortably above 
them with Mr. Dog, who was now preparing the 
118 


MR. BEAR TELLS A STORY 

potatoes for dinner, looked down on a row of eager 
furry faces, every ear lopped forward, every pink 
topaz eye fixed on Mr. Bear. No wriggling and 
giggling now, as in school, I can promise you. In 
fact when Peter Rabbit happened to sneeze, and he 
really could n’t help that, the other young rabbits 
were quite annoyed and his cousin Benjamin gave 
him an angry shove and told him, ‘'to please keep 
still.” Mr. Bear cleared his throat, wiped his spec- 
tacles, and began as every good story-teller should 
with “Once upon a time.” 

“Once upon a time, my dear young rabbit 
friends,” said Mr. Bear, “I am cinnamon color as 
you see, but once upon a time there lived in a magic 
wood far, far away, another bear who was a rela- 
tion of mine and he was snowy white. This was 
the more strange because he was the only one of 
his family to be like that. All the others were 
black, or dingy brown, and while their fur was 
rough and shaggy. Polo’s fur, for that was what 
they called him, his real name being Roly Polo, 
had fur that was very soft and silky. This made 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

his brothers and sisters and even his father and 
mother jealous, and they treated poor Polo cruelly. 
They pretended to be ashamed of him on account 
of his white coat; they made him do all the dirty 
work and nothing pleased them so much as to roll 
him in the ashes, and send him out into the forest 
covered with soot.” 

‘‘Shame,” said Benjamin Bunny, and the other 
rabbits nodded their heads. 

“Yes,” went on Mr. Bear, “it was a shame and 
after a while, if you will believe it, the bear fam- 
ily really got to thinking their own coats the hand- 
somest and were dreadfully mortified if any of the 
neighboring wood folk saw Polo when, as it some- 
times chanced, he had had a good bath and was 
white and shining. They kept him out of the way 
as much as possible, they made him eat the left 
over scraps, and they never let him play any games 
with them, unless it was to be something that none 
of the others liked to be. In short they were just 
as unfair and mean as possible. Poor Polo was 
very unhappy and wished every day that he had 
120 



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MR. BEAR TELLS A STORY 


been born just a plain, ordinary, brown bear. If 
he could have changed himself over he would have 
done so, but as he could n’t, it did seem rather hard 
to have his whole family dislike him for something 
that really was n’t his fault.” 

“I should think so,” said Peter Rabbit. 

‘‘Well, one day, who should ride by,” continued 
Mr. Bear, “but the King of the country; and he 
caught sight of Polo, who was doing the family 
washing on the back porch of the Bear House. The 
King could n’t see the little white bear very plainly 
because there was a latticed screen in the way, but 
he was very much pleased with what he did see, 
so he reined in his horse and called out to Mr. 
Father Bear to come out. 

“Mr. Father Bear did so at once, bowing down 
to the ground as he approached the King, for it 
was a great honor to have royalty stop at the house 
like that. 

“ ‘My good bear,’ said the King, ‘I have long 
been looking for some one of your kind to take to 
court with me, to be my friend and companion. 
123 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


For such a one I have a diamond collar, a bed of 
down with a satin cover, and much honey on a sil- 
ver plate, besides a purse of gold which may be 
spent freely, as whenever it is gone I shall fill it 
full again.’ 

'‘Mr. Father Bear could hardly believe his ears. 

" 'Myself and my family are yours for the tak- 
ing, great King,’ he said hurriedly. 

" 'Oh,’ said the King, 'that is very good of you, 
I am sure, but I want something a little different 
from the common run of bears. Have you by any 
chance a very handsome son?’ 

" 'Yes, indeed,’ answered Mr. Father Bear 
promptly. 'I have a very handsome one. Ursus, 
my eldest, is both strong and beautiful.’ 

" 'Well,’ said the King, 'I am busy to-day, but 
to-morrow I will come and inspect your family.’ ” 

The young rabbits shivered with excitement. "I 
just hope he sees Polo,” said one. 

"Don’t talk,” said another; "we want to hear 
what happened.” 

Mr. Bear smiled at the delighted interest of his 
124 



Then Ursus was combed and brushed 








MR. BEAR TELLS A STORY 

hearers, and thought in his heart that they were 
really a bright lot and not nearly as troublesome as 
he had first believed them. 

‘'So the King rode on,” Mr. Bear continued, “and 
Mr. Father Bear went into his house and, calling 
the family together, told them the great news. 
Even Polo, who was, you remember, working out- 
side, heard it also. 

“Then Ursus was combed and brushed and had 
yards and yards of bright orange and red ribbon 
made into bows and pinned all over his best clothes, 
to make them still more beautiful. Nobody paid 
any attention to Roly Polo except to cuff him 
about, which they did from force of habit. Ursus 
looked very important, and was given the best of 
everything to eat at supper, while the others of the 
Bear family looked on with envy. You would 
think that the eldest son was already King’s favor- 
ite, and the idea did not greatly improve his man- 
ners. In fact Ursus gave himself such airs that 
Roly Polo had to go out of the room and stuff both 
paws into his mouth to keep from laughing out 
127 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


loud, which would not have been a good thing to 
do, as you may imagine. 

‘‘The next morning was one of the busiest in the 
little white bear’s life. It was ‘Polo, bring this,’ 
‘Polo, get that,’ with never so much as a ‘thank you’ 
but only ‘you lazy beast’ and ‘you great good-for- 
nothing’ to help him along, and a shove here and a 
cuff there, till he was ready to sit down and cry 
in good earnest. 

“Fortunately, before it was very late, up rode 
the King. Polo had been hurried into the coat 
closet and locked up there for safe keeping, at 
the first sound of the Herald’s silver trumpet, for 
Mr. Father Bear and his mate could not dream of 
having their white offspring disgrace them by being 
accidentally seen. 

“But when Ursus came out very slick with bear’s 
pomade, and very fine as to orange and red ribbon 
rosettes, the King burst out laughing. 

“ ‘Surely,’ he said, ‘this is n’t the handsome son 
you promised me. Then out with the rest of the 
family.’ 


128 


MR. BEAR TELLS A STORY 


'In a moment there they all stood for the King’s 
inspection; Mr. Ursus Bear in the background, 
furiously biting off his gay ribbons, and the others, 
black and dingy brown, all bowing and showing 
their white teeth in the very pleasantest smiles they 
could manage. 

"But the King did not seem at all taken with 
their looks. He appeared, in fact, much annoyed 
and even cross, and he spoke sharply to Mr. Father 
Bear. 

" 'Is this quite all the family?’ 

" 'Quite all,’ said Mr. Father Bear, which was a 
dreadfully wrong story. 

" 'Are you sure?’ said the King. 

" 'Sure, your Majesty,’ answered the wicked 
father bear again for he was prepared to say any- 
thing rather than have Roly Polo get any kind of 
a chance to be King’s favorite. You see his con- 
science troubled him. If Polo did get such a won- 
derful position what would become of the Bear 
family who had so ill treated him? Besides that, 
Mr. Father Bear could n’t make up his mind to let 
129 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

the King see that one of the Bear children was so 
very unlike the others, with not even one spot of 
brown to take away from that staring whiteness 
of his furry coat. 

“The King looked very much disappointed, but 
he felt that he must have been mistaken after all 
in thinking he had seen something so different the 
other day. So he signed to his guard to start and 
picked up the reins which had been hanging loosely 
on his horse’s neck.” 

“Oh dear!” sighed a young rabbit. 

“And then,” said Mr. Bear, smiling at his anx- 
ious listeners, “then there came the funniest noise, 
scratching and squealing, for I will tell you some- 
thing that nobody there knew. It is this : — 

''The coat closet door did not fit quite tight, 

“In fact, there was as much as half an inch of 
space at the bottom and the windows of the Bear 
house being open. Roly Polo had heard every 
word. 

“ 'What ’s that?’ asked the King, pausing. 

“Mr. Father Bear answered quickly. 'Oh, that 
130 




The gorgeous Herald in blue and silver 



MR. BEAR TELLS A STORY 


is — that is hens/ he said, for that was the first an- 
swer that came into his head. 

‘Nonsense,’ said the King. ‘Hens may scratch 
but they certainly don’t squeal. That noise seems 
to come from inside the house. Herald, search!’ 
he commanded., 

“ ‘O your Majesty,’ pleaded Mr. Father Bear in 
a great state of fear and excitement, ‘please don’t. 
I think that noise may come from my unhappy son. 
He is so very ugly I did n’t want to offend your 
Majesty’s eyes with the sight of him. And besides 
that, he has such a bad temper he is really dan- 
gerous.’ ” 

“The wicked old thing,” murmured Peter Rab- 
bit. 

“So he was,” agreed Mr. Bear, “but as you will 
see it did n’t do him a bit of good. Lies seldom 
do, you know. For the King paid not the slightest 
attention to Mr. Father Bear’s entreaties, and the 
royal commands were at once obeyed, and in a few 
moments the gorgeous Herald in blue and silver 
came forth leading by the ear a little white bear, 

133 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

none other than our friend Roly Polo. But he 
was n’t so very white, because, you see, he had been 
doing a lot of work all the morning and had n’t 
had time to wash up. Besides that he had been 
crying in the coat closet and his tears had made two 
grimy streaks way down his small face. All the 
same the King liked his looks immensely. Even 
under all the dirt he was a very attractive little 
bear and his dark eyes were full of intelligence. 
His pink tongue showed just a little also, for all 
this was so surprising that he forgot and kept his 
mouth open, and the King thought his smile very 
sweet. 

‘‘Meanwhile, Mr. Father Bear was trying to edge 
away, and all the Bear family were looking guilty 
and most unhappy, and the King was glad they 
felt so. In a few words, for Kings are apt to come 
straight to the point, his Majesty told Mr. Father 
Bear exactly what he thought of him, and then he 
ordered him and his whole family sent into the 
neighboring country with strict orders never to re- 
turn. That is, all but Roly Polo, who was first 

134 


MR. BEAR TELLS A STORY 

to have a perfumed bath, and then to be installed 
in the Palace as King’s high favorite. 

'‘The Bear family wept and wrung their paws.” 

"Served them right,” said Benjamin Bunny. 

"And Roly Polo, who had a sweet forgiving na- 
ture, begged the King to pardon them, but he 
would n’t. And when he was told later of how 
badly they had treated his little white bear, he was 
so angry that perhaps it was best for them that 
they were by that time all far away. But Roly 
Polo went back with the King to the Palace,” ended 
Mr. Bear, "and lived happily forever after.” 

"My,” said the young rabbits, "that was a fine 
story!” and they one and all thanked their kind 
host, and were preparing to take their leave in their 
best manner, when out came Mr. Dog with a plate 
of lettuce sandwiches, and a big pitcher of lemon- 
ade, and that really turned the whole thing at once 
into a party. 

It was nearly an hour later when the gathering 
broke up. Mrs. Jack Rabbit had come anxiously 
seeking her children, for she could n’t imagine what 
13J 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


was keeping them so long. And Mr. Bear walked 
half way home with her, and before they parted 
they were friends again, and Mrs. Jack Rabbit, 
who was really a good soul though of a nervous 
disposition, said several times that she thought it 
very kind indeed of Mr. Bear to entertain her chil- 
dren so beautifully, and that not one of them had 
been seriously hurt by falling off the wash bench 
in Mr. Bear’s woodshed that one night of school. 


136 


PART VII 

MISS GRAY GOOSE FOLLOWS HER OWN COUNSEL 

D O you remember Mr. Red Fox, how meanly 
he had treated Mr. Dog, how he stole and 
got punished by Mr. Bear, and how at the end he 
had been driven out of the forest on account of 
his evil doings? 

Well, all that was a good while ago, and Mr. 
Red Fox began to hope these things were forgotten, 
and that he might safely venture to return once 
more. He was so afraid of Mr. Bear that he did n’t 
dare come right back to the forest to live, but 
by watching and hiding around he found out that 
his old home was vacant and then he thought that 
he would ask the silliest of all the animals some 
questions that he very much wanted answered. 
I wonder if you can guess to whom he went. 

137 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


It was Miss Gray Goose. She alone of all the 
wood people had not been glad of Mr. Red Fox’s 
exile, and some foolish remarks of hers had reached 
Mr. Red Fox’s sharp ears, and been laid away in 
his memory for further use. 

So it was that he waited patiently behind some 
thick bushes near the roadside until the silly bird 
should pass by alone; and one morning she came, 
and stopped to admire herself in a convenient 
puddle. Miss Gray Goose was going to pay a visit 
to a neighboring farm. She had on her best bon- 
net trimmed with blue and yellow, and her cash- 
mere shawl had a gay flowered border. Her tail 
feathers glistened in the sunlight. They were 
really dazzling white although the rest of her was 
gray, and were very pretty, and Miss Gray Goose 
was so proud of them that she kept her head turned 
a good deal of the time, so as to look at and admire 
them. She was thinking what a really lovely crea- 
ture she was with her yellow beak, and snowy plum- 
age, for she never thought about her gray feathers 
if she could help it, and Mr. Red Fox was think- 

138 



Miss Gray Goose stopped to admire herself in a puddle 




MISS GRAY GOOSE 

ing exactly the same thing, though for a different 
reason. It was her plumpness that he most ad- 
mired, and as he had had but little breakfast, her 
appearance was so tempting it made his mouth 
water. But Miss Gray Goose was altogether too 
near home and friends to make it safe for Mr. Red 
Fox to dream of showing his admiration in any such 
way as seemed good to him. He could be patient 
as well as crafty, as we know, when it seemed worth 
while, and in his wicked mind a plan had already 
formed, that to him seemed very worth while in- 
deed. 

So he put his cap on a trifle to one side, since he 
knew Miss Gray Goose admired a rakish manner, 
and, coughing gently to prepare her, he stepped out 
from behind the thicket. 

Miss Gray Goose gave a frightened squawk and 
her eyelids fluttered rapidly. It was all very well 
to say at a distance that one admired Mr. Red 
Fox, but to have so bold a fellow with such a bad 
reputation so near, when one was unprotected, was 
quite a different matter. 

141 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


But Mr. Red Fox pretended not to notice her 
surprise or fear. 

‘‘Good-morning, Miss Gray Goose,’’ he began in 
his smoothest manner. “I only stopped in passing 
to thank you for allowing a poor wanderer like 
me to see so beautiful a picture. I hope you do not 
think me impertinent, dearest Miss Gray Goose, 
if I say openly that I never saw a more lovely 
costume, and to be still more personal, how in the 
world do you manage to keep your tail feathers so 
beautifully white 

By this time Miss Gray Goose had got partly 
over her terror and she thought to herself in her 
silly head that she had been quite right in think- 
ing Mr. Red Fox was not so bad after all. “It 
was really strange,” she added to herself, “how 
often she was right and the rest of the world was 
wrong, and yet few people seemed to realize 
it.” 

“I hope,” said Mr. Red Fox, looking sweetly 
at her but coming no nearer, “that you are as well as 
you look. Miss Gray Goose.” 

142 


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So he put his cap on a trifle to one side 



MISS GRAY GOOSE 

‘‘Thank you” said Miss Gray Goose in a faint 
voice, “I am pretty well/’ 

“I suppose,” said Mr. Red Fox, “that with your 
sensitive nature you are often misunderstood and so 
of course you cannot be quite well. Ah!” sighed 
Mr. Red Fox, laying his paw on his heart, “I know 
how that is. People say such dreadful things of 
me, but dear Miss Gray Goose, I have heard of the 
noble way in which you have answered them. If 
only I were back in my old home I would show 
these stupid wood people how much I value you, 
my dear brave Miss Gray Goose.” 

And so he would, but not quite in the manner 
Miss Gray Goose thought. The silly bird was en- 
chanted by these soft words. She raised her bill 
with quite an air and looked coyly at Mr. Red Fox. 
There was something about him that much at- 
tracted her. He was such a dashing fellow, quite 
unlike plodding Mr. Bear or that Mr. Dog who was 
always giving his betters good advice, and who 
really had no idea of what was due to a lady. 

Imagine it, Mr. Dog had really had the impu- 

145 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


dence to laugh at her for defending Mr. Red Fox, 
and he had gone so far beyond his rights as to say, 
quite roughly, that the more she kept on her side of 
the farmyard wall, and left Mr. Red Fox on the 
other, the better it would be for her. 

But perhaps he was jealous. Miss Gray Goose 
looked again at her lovely white tail feathers and 
decided that was probably the reason for Mr. Dog s 
remarks. 

Meanwhile, sly Mr. Red Fox sighed heavily and 
Miss Gray Goose wanted to know at once what 
the matter was. 

'‘Dear lady,’’ said Mr. Red Fox, "you have such 
a kind heart, and so I will make so bold as to tell 
you my troubles. While you have been standing 
here making, if I may say so, such a lovely picture 
against the green trees beyond you, I have been 
thinking of many things, and I wondered if I dared 
ask your advice about doing over my parlor should 
I, as I now hope and expect, return to my old 
home.” 

"Why, Mr. Red Fox, if I can be of any help I ’m 
146 


MISS GRAY GOOSE 


sure I am quite at your service,” said Miss Gray 
Goose, much pleased to have her taste consulted. 

“I said to myself just now,” went on wily Mr. 
Red Fox, ‘'that anybody who could pick out such a 
beautiful bonnet and shawl must have the right 
ideas on house furnishing, so if you would just slip 
home with me I think we could settle everything 
between us in a few minutes.” And, oh, how 
hungry Mr. Red Fox looked, to be sure ! 

Miss Gray Goose was a little troubled by this 
unexpected turn to her conversation with Mr. Red 
Fox. She knew that his house, like its owner, had 
a very bad name. Old Mr. Turkey Gobbler had 
even said one day that he had been told that loose 
feathers had been seen there. 

Miss Gray Goose shivered. 

“I don’t believe I can to-day,” she hesitated, 
when just then Mr. Red Fox, who had been un- 
easily pricking up his ears, and sniffing the air with 
his long pointed nose, gave a quick leap in her 
direction. 

“Dearest Miss Gray Goose, please come,” he 
147 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

said; “that tiresome animal, Mr. Dog, is running 
this way. He ’ll be sure to be rude if he sees us 
talking together. Anyhow just come a little way 
into the forest till he gets by, won’t you*? Do 
now, like the sweet kind creature you are.” And 
before Miss Gray Goose quite knew how it all hap- 
pened she found herself hurrying along the narrow 
path which led to Mr. Red Fox’s residence. 

She did n’t half like it, but Mr. Red Fox gave 
her no time to think, for taking her by the wing, 
to help her, as he said, over the rough places, he 
went rapidly onward, deeper and deeper into the 
forest, and the farther he went, the more his eyes 
glowed like twin coals of fire, and the sharper 
showed his long teeth as he smiled in a peculiar 
manner on Miss Gray Goose, who was by now quite 
frightened, and wishing herself safe at home in the 
farmyard. 

“Please, dear Mr. Red Fox,” she panted, “don’t 
go quite so fast.” 

“Oh,” said Mr. Red Fox, not slackening his pace 
in the slightest, “you are so fat, my dear creature, 
148 


MISS GRAY GOOSE 



“Please, dear Mr. Red Fox, don’t go quite so fast” 

I ’m sure a little gentle exercise will do you good.” 

Miss Gray Goose was much offended, but she 
did n’t dare to reply. 

‘'And there ’s my house right at the turn of the 
149 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


road.” Mr. Red Fox lapped the end of his nose 
with his tongue. 

‘Tat! yes, my dear, you are fat — a most beauti- 
ful thing in a goose — and sweet, yes, I ’m sure you 
are sweet also. Here we are at last. Come in, 
come in. Miss Gray Goose, and lunch will soon be 
ready.” 

And that, I am afraid, would have been the end 
of this story and Miss Gray Goose together, only 
Mr. Red Fox’s door happened to be latched, and 
Mr. Red Fox had to loosen his grasp on Miss Gray 
Goose’s wing for the moment, as he needed to use 
both paws to get the door open. 

Miss Gray Goose dropped her beautiful cash- 
mere shawl and started down the winding forest 
road as fast as her two yellow legs and her wings, 
which were unfortunately clipped, would take her. 
Mr. Red Fox gave a nasty snarl and started after. 

Miss Gray Goose ran for dear life, and that is 
pretty fast even for a goose, but Mr. Red Fox ran 
for his dinner and he went faster. Miss Gray 
Goose got to the turn of the road first but Mr. 
150 



Mr. Red Fox was off in the very opposite direction 


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MISS GRAY GOOSE 

Red Fox was close behind. Miss Gray Goose gave 
a despairing leap in the air just as Mr. Red Fox’s 
teeth went ‘click” behind her. She felt a terrible 
pull and gave one fleeting look. She did not see 
her white tail feathers — they were gone, but Mr. 
Red Fox, with a very wry face, was pulling them 
out of his mouth as fast as his paws could take 
them. Miss Gray Goose gave up all hope; her 
legs began to wobble in a distressing manner. She 
felt Mr. Red Fox’s hot breath on her very neck, and 
then — then just at that exact instant out from the 
bushes bounded something, it was black and white, 
it had gleaming eyes and sharp teeth and when he 
saw it Mr. Red Fox gave a kind of double sum- 
mersault and was off in the very opposite direction 
before you could say “Jack Robinson.” 

“Oh, Mr. Dog!” murmured Miss Gray Goose, 
and then she fell over limply on to her side, just 
as she had done at night school, only this time she 
had fainted away in sober earnest. 

When she came to herself Mr. Dog was fanning 
her with a large leaf of a skunk cabbage. The 

153 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

forest was very quiet; one or two white goose feath- 
ers were floating in the breeze or caught on to the 
neighboring shrubbery. Miss Gray Goose shut her 
eyes — the sight of them was so painful — but Mr. 
Dog had seen that she was herself again, and he 
told her in a few words they had best be getting 
home. It was a sad journey. Miss Gray Goose 
with her bonnet all on one side, without her shawl 
and without her beautiful tail feathers, was hardly 
the same creature that had gone forth from the 
farmyard so gaily that morning. She never said 
one word all the way home. She was never so 
ashamed in all her life and Mr. Dog, marching be- 
side her like a soldier guard, never spoke either. 
To tell the truth he was hoping the whole thing 
would be a wholesome lesson, and he thought it 
best to say nothing, but when they reached the 
farmyard there indeed the silence was broken. 
Every fowl broke into a perfect babel of ques- 
tioning, and some of the little chickens and the 
younger ducks were so rude as to plainly make fun 
of Miss Gray Goose’s sadly altered appearance. 

154 



I have been told that the uniform was most becoming 





MISS GRAY GOOSE 


Miss Gray Goose almost wished Mr. Red Fox, 
while he was about it, had finished the rest of her, 
as well as taking her beautiful tail feathers. 

I should like to add that she changed as much 
for the better within as she had for the worse with- 
out, but I must be truthful. 

In spite of her terrible lesson Miss Gray Goose 
did not grow less silly. She only kept much closer 
at home, and in fact it was only necessary to call 
‘‘Mr. Red Fox is coming!” to make her retreat, 
squawking with fear. And this, I am sorry to say, 
was something that the young bantams used in fun 
to do, just to have the pleasure of seeing Miss Gray 
Goose drop her conceited airs, and run like any 
ordinary, frightened fowl to the nearest coop for 
safety. 

But the animals of the forest were so pleased 
with Mr. Dog’s gallant behavior that they voted 
to make him special policeman. I have been told 
that the uniform was most becoming, and that it 
was one of Mr. Bear’s greatest pleasures to see his 
friend inside it, and I am sure that Mr. Dog wore 

157 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


it worthily, and performed all his duties in a satis- 
factory manner. At least it looks that way, be- 
cause Mr. Red Fox took himself and his hunting to 
other forests and the wood people were never trou- 
bled by him again. 


158 


PART VIII 

THE CHRISTMAS TREE 

N obody in the forest was troubled in any 
way for a long time after Mr. Red Fox had 
gone, and before winter set in the people began 
to leave their doors unlocked and their valuables 
about just as they had done in the days before so 
many things were carried off by the sly thief who 
was caught and punished in the end for all his 
naughtiness, as we know. 

Mr. Bear was looking forward to the first real 
snow storm because Mr. Dog had made a fine 
double runner, and they were both planning for 
light housework, and a lot of coasting. Mr. Bear’s 
fur suit was just the thing for winter sports, but 
Mr. Dog had been obliged to go to the village and 
buy himself a sweater. It was a bright crimson 
and was very becoming, and Mr. Dog, who loved 

159 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 



Mr. Dog had purchased a scarlet and white skating cap 

fine clothes, had purchased as well a scarlet and 
white skating cap with a tassel* that hung down over 
one ear in a most engaging manner. So both Mr. 
Dog and Mr. Bear could hardly wait for cold 
weather to set in, and they spent a great deal of 
160 


THE CHRISTMAS TREE 


time running out to the porch and looking at the 
out-door thermometer. When they were not doing 
that they were reading the weather reports in the 
newspapers with attention, or scanning the clouds, 
and at last their earnest watch was rewarded by 
the sight of large feathery flakes of snow lazily 
floating downward from a cold gray sky. 

But alas, there was to be no coasting that day for 
either of them, or for that matter for many days to 
come; for Mr. Bear, who had not been feeling like 
himself for some time, came down with the mumps 
and Mr. Dog had his paws full with the cooking 
and the nursing, and the bed making, and the 
carrying up of trays to the invalid. 

Now I suppose you never saw a bear with the 
mumps ! It is a sad sight at best, I assure you, and 
the cottage was a sad place now with only the doc- 
tor’s visits for company and Mr. Bear in the dread- 
fulest state with his poor neck so swollen that none 
of his collars would fit him^ — he had lately, to 
please Mr. Dog, taken to wearing them — and for 
daily use a red bandana handkerchief became the 
i6i 



MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

only thing possible. Well, Mr. Dog was a pretty 
fair nurse, though he did bring Mr. Bear some 
lemonade the first day and if you ’ve ever had 
mumps you will know how Mr. Bear felt after he 


Now, I suppose you never saw a bear with the mumps 

162 


THE CHRISTMAS TREE 


got a real good taste. But Mr. Dog was more care- 
ful after that, and never so much as said 'pickles” 
or brought Mr. Bear anything that was sour or 
puckery, and they got along quite nicely. 

Still for the patient there was a lot of time for 
thinking, and Mr. Bear, looking wistfully out on 
the snowy landscape, began to plan for Christmas. 
He decided that he would surprise Mr. Dog again ; 
you remember about the party, and this time the 
surprise should take the form of a Christmas tree. 
There were plenty of dear little firs growing about 
near, each one holding up its tiny branches as if 
begging for the honor of being chosen, and Mr. 
Bear knew Mr. Dog, who was something of a car- 
penter, was just dying to have a complete tool 
chest, and what a fine present that would be. And 
how beautifully the awl and saws and other tools 
would glitter hung from the branches in the light 
of the Christmas candles. 

Mr. Bear would also see that Mr. Dog had a 
wonderful big bone, the best in the market, and 
tied with scarlet ribbon and holly, and a bottle of 
163 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


perfumery, for Mr. Dog was more than a bit fond 
of just such things, as we have said. Oh, yes! and 
a dozen handkerchiefs with colored borders and 
'‘Mr. Dog” in fancy letters on their corners. Mr. 
Bear had to get his notebook down and write the 
things as fast as he remembered them, and the best 
of it was Mr. Bear was determined, firmly deter- 
mined, as he was in the matter of the surprise party, 
that Mr. Dog should know nothing whatever about 
the whole matter. Besides, it was their first Christ- 
mas together, and it ought to be properly cele- 
brated. 

Now the funny part of it was that Mr. Dog had 
been thinking also, and the end of his reflections 
was pretty much in the main what Mr. Bear’s had 
been. He too looked at the snow, and the fir trees, 
and he remembered how cold and lonely he had 
been last Christmas and how Mr. Bear had met 
him in the forest and offered him a home, as we have 
seen. And take it altogether, Mr. Bear had been 
wonderfully kind, and now he had the mumps. 
My! it was hard luck to have mumps when you 
164 


THE CHRISTMAS TREE 


wanted so dreadfully much to go coasting, and the 
best slide anywhere round right under your very 
windows. Well, Mr. Dog would certainly like to 
do something about it, something that would help 
to pay a little of his debt to his kind friend, Mr. 
Bear, and something that would in a measure make 
up for these days of illness. He had it! And I 
wish you could have been there to see how fast his 
tail wagged! He would give Mr. Bear a Christ- 
mas tree and Mr, Bear should know nothing what- 
ever about it, 

Mr. Dog was so excited (did I say he was making 
a pudding at the time?) that he put salt into it in- 
stead of sugar and never knew the difference till 
he and Mr. Bear sat down to dessert together. By 
this time Mr. Bear was well enough to go out again, 
and pretty soon he was well enough to go coasting, 
and by then he was well enough to do anything at 
all that he wanted to. 

His actions began to puzzle Mr. Dog. In the 
first place, Mr. Bear began to make a lot of mys- 
terious trips to the village, and then he was always 
165 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

getting a lot of catalogues, which he was careful to 
keep locked up. One day Mr. Dog found him 
measuring the height of the parlor ceiling and he 
looked very much embarrassed when asked what 
he was doing; and yet Mr. Dog had n’t the slight- 
est idea of what was going on. You see, he was 
so full of his own plans to surprise Mr. Bear that 
it never crossed his mind that Mr. Bear might have 
secret holiday plans of his own. Mr. Dog was 
chiefly concerned that Mr. Bear should n’t find out 
what he was doing and as he was much more care- 
ful than poor, dear, blundering Mr. Bear he never 
gave his friend the slightest idea of what was in his 
mind. 

After a lot of thinking, Mr. Dog decided to cut 
the prettiest little Christmas tree you ever saw, 
that he had found near by in the forest. He would 
trim it with popcorn and cranberries and little 
candles, and he would give Mr. Bear a half dozen 
jars of the finest honey, because Mr. Bear loved 
honey best of anything, and a big blueberry pie 
tied up with scarlet ribbon and holly, for Mr. Bear 
166 



Mr. Dog found him measuring the height of the parlor ceiling 




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THE CHRISTMAS TREE 


liked blueberry pie next best, and a muffler, a beau- 
tiful warm plaid muffler, because Mr. Bear was n’t 
stylish but loved to be comfortable. Oh, yes, and 
a white and gold book for the parlor table. Mr. 
Dog did n’t care at all what was inside the book 
but he wanted a very handsome cover. It would 
look awfully well under the best lamp and as the 
only book in the house was a cookbook, Mr. Dog 
felt it would lend quite an air to the whole cot- 
tage, and was, in a way, really needed. To do all 
this would take every penny Mr. Dog had earned 
by his flight in the airship, all the money in fact 
that he had got back again from Mr. Red Fox, as 
we saw in another story; but Mr. Dog did not 
grudge a single cent of his hoard. 

Mr. Bear did n’t tell anybody of his plan and 
Mr. Dog did n’t tell anybody either. They both 
gave very good reasons for refusing a number of 
invitations that they received for Christmas par- 
ties; Mr. Bear, looking very wise, said he felt 
rather old for romping about, just a quiet evening 
in slippers at home for him, and Mr. Dog said 
169 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

what with the mumps and all he was behindhand 
now with his work, and he thought he would rather 
spend a quiet day resting, just slippers and an 
evening at home for him. 

Their friends asked, but what were they going to 
do about Christmas? 

Mr. Bear looked up in the air and scratched his 
head and finally said something about wreaths in 
the windows, and Mr. Dog answered briskly that 
he was going to make the finest plum pudding that 
day for dinner they ever saw and if that was n’t 
celebrating Christmas, what was? 

Still, it did seem as if the time would never ar- 
rive, for you know yourself how slow Christmas 
and birthdays and vacations are about getting 
around; and how very quickly school days, and 
trips to the dentist and such things come, but at 
last it really was December twenty-fourth, and 
that very evening after sunset had been planned 
both by Mr. Dog and by Mr. Bear for their grand 
surprise. 

Mr. Dog had all his presents on the top shelf of 
170 


THE CHRISTMAS TREE 


his bedroom closet, and Mr. Bear had all his pres- 
ents on the top shelf of his bedroom closet, and 
both of them had their closets locked and the keys 
in their pockets. 

Neither of the friends talked much at supper 
that night for both were too busy thinking. Mr. 
Bear wanted to get some good excuse for leaving 
Mr. Dog and getting into the forest where the 
Christmas tree was to be found. It was already 
cut but it wanted trimming and Mr. Bear decided 
to trim it right where it stood, or rather where it 
leaned against another fir tree, and then manage 
some way to get it into the house without Mr. 
Dog’s knowing it. Mr. Bear s pockets were full 
of tinsel and bells, gilt walnuts, golden and silver 
balls and such like ornaments. He fairly tinkled 
when he walked. Mr. Dog was so very busy think- 
ing himself, he did n’t notice, and Mr. Bear had to 
sit down very carefully indeed for fear of breaking 
his precious load. 

At last supper was over and the dishes neatly 
washed and put away and with one accord the two 
171 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 

friends turned to each other, and as they both 
spoke at once and both said the same thing this is 
the way it sounded : 

‘‘I was thinking of taking a little stroll this 
evening,” said Mr. Dog, said Mr. Bear, all in a 
breath without pausing. 

‘‘Why, that ’s a good idea,” said Mr. Bear, put- 
ting on his cap and goloshes as he spoke. It was 
handy for him not having to bother with anything 
more on account of his fine fur coat, though he 
would rather have liked a muffler. 

“I think so too,” said Mr. Dog, hurriedly get- 
ting into his coasting togs, sweater, cap with the 
tassel and all. 

“Which way were you going, Mr. Bear? I was 
thinking of going west — ” 

“I was thinking of going east,” said Mr. Bear, 
much relieved at the turn things were taking, and 
so the two friends parted. 

Mr. Bear called out over his shoulder, “No use, 
Mr. Dog, of being back before eight o’clock a fine 
night like this.” 


172 


THE CHRISTMAS TREE 


''Oh, no!” said Mr. Dog, much pleased and in- 
wardly planning to get his tree all trimmed out- 
side in the forest for safety, and then to have it in 
the cottage and all set up a few moments before 
that hour. 

So both friends walked hurriedly off and my, 
weren’t they busy! Mr. Dog to the west to 
hang on his tree, as fast as ever he could, the strings 
of cranberries and popcorn with which his pockets 
were bulging, and Mr. Bear to decorate his tree in 
the most beautiful manner and as rapidly as pos- 
sible, and you may not believe it, but each of them 
got through the very same moment, which was ex- 
actly seventeen and a half minutes to eight o’clock, 
and each of them were just, though in different 
directions, one half mile from home. Mr. Bear 
put his tree on his shoulder and started, Mr. Dog 
put his tree on his shoulder and started. Mr. 
Bear’s tree was bigger and heavier than Mr. Dog’s 
tree, but then Mr. Bear was stronger than Mr. Dog 
so they both covered the ground at the same rate 
of speed. 


173 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


Now I suppose you are already guessing what 
happened. It was sure to, was n’t it? And it just 
did. 

Mr. Dog, stealthily coming up the back way, 
and Mr. Bear, stealthily coming up the front way, 
met right at the cottage door and I wish you had 
been there to see them. I don’t suppose their eyes 
were ever wider opened in all their lives, and as 
for their mouths they were open too and both their 
tongues were hanging out. 

And they were both surprised! Mr. Dog was 
the quickest so he began to laugh first, but Mr. 
Bear was not long in following and they both 
laughed so hard they had to lean their beautiful 
Christmas trees up against the side of the cottage, 
while they rolled over and over in the snow and 
neither one could stop. 

But at last Mr. Bear caught his breath and sat 
up and Mr. Dog, still wiping away tears of merri- 
ment with his paw, sat up too, and then it all came 
out — their wonderful plans and all the doings. 

Well, the end of it was, there were two Christ- 
174 



I wish you could have been there to see them 





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THE CHRISTMAS TREE 


mas trees set up in Mr. Bear’s house that night and 
two very happy people. 

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And they both laughed so hard 


as hot could be, and Mr. Dog had so much per- 
fumery on his handkerchief that they had to open 
the front door to air off. 

Mr. Dog began to do things with his tools at 
once, while gnawing ever and anon at his wonder- 
ful bone, and Mr. Bear ate a piece of blueberry pie 
177 


MR. DOG AND MR. BEAR 


that was big enough to give him seven kinds of 
nightmare, but did n’t. 

In fact they both said there had never been such 
a Christmas and that it was the greatest fun hav- 
ing it that way all alone. I suppose they meant 
the forest and the farm people, but still, perhaps, 
this is a good place and time for you and me to 
leave them. 


THE END 


H 246 83 


178 












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